– Disaster, says hotel owner – NRK Vestland

The tourist road in Stalheimskleiva was closed this summer after the Norwegian Public Roads Administration discovered that the road may give way, something they are now in the process of improving.

On Thursday, the ground loosened under the weight of a bulldozer, which slid downhill.

The driver was rescued by a firefighter who got into a rope.

The 1.5-kilometer-long road was built in the mid-19th century and winds up the mountainside from Nærøydalen in Aurland to Stalheim in Voss.

With its 13 hairpin bends, it is considered one of the steepest roads in Northern Europe.

The art of engineering, the wild scenery of the fjords and the magnificent view from the hotel at the top have made royal doctors and tourists from all over the world make pilgrimages here.

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Svenn Egil Finden is now warning that it may be relevant to close the road to larger tour buses and heavier vehicles.

Finden is the head of the department of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, responsible for the road.

– It is an old road, and it is clear that the road was built for a different traffic than we have today. It does not tolerate this type of traffic with vehicles as large and heavy as it has been lately.

That makes the owner of the hotel in Gudvangen, Olav Hylland, react.

– It will be a disaster, he says, and points out that Stalheimskleiva is «one of the highlights for cruise tourists who come here.

You understand that safety comes first, but you wonder if short-term financial considerations come into play as well.

– They must be able to improve the road so that it can support larger buses and vehicles. There is a great demand for “Kleivi” driving.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the municipality of Voss and the tourism industry will discuss next week how the road can be used in the future.

The daily camper at the Stalheim Hotel, Ingrid Tønneberg, who was on top of Stalheimskleiva, doesn’t want to comment on the matter until after Wednesday’s meeting.

– Tourist roads are safe

Stalheimskleiva is also a peaceful cultural monument. This means that cleaning work after Thursday’s accident takes time.

– This must be planned well so that we do as little damage as possible, says department director Finden.

It ensures that tourist roads are checked at regular intervals.

– We monitor vegans, and if we see that there is damage that can develop, action is taken, he says.