Famous Norwegian road Trollstigen closed for 2024

One of Norway’s biggest attractions for road trippers will be closed in 2024. This will be problematic for those who want to drive to Geirangerfjord.

This world-famous image of people looking at the hairpin bends winding up the mountainside at Trollstigen draws numerous drivers to the northern part of the Western Fjords every year.

There are often problems with rockfalls, but this year it is so bad that the road has to be closed for the entire season.

The Trollstigen was only opened at the beginning of June this year because there was a lot of snow in Norway this winter. Nevertheless, six rockfalls were recorded in just ten days.

The risk of someone being hit by a rockfall is now so high that the municipality has decided to close the road until safety measures are implemented. This essentially means that the road is closed for the rest of the summer season.

“We have had so many incidents that it is no longer justifiable to keep the road open. Now we just have to stop before someone is seriously injured or loses their life,” county road chief Ole Jan Tønnesen tells NRK.

Introducing: Trollstigen

Trollstigen is a mountain pass and part of county road 63 in Møre og Romsdal. The 55 km long road connects Valldal in Sunnmøre with Åndalsnes in Romsdal. With its iconic, winding hairpin bends, Trollstigen attracts tourists from all over the world every year.

Trollstigen is one of Norway’s 18 designated scenic roads. Opened in 1936, the pass has eleven hairpin bends and is 850 meters above sea level.

Due to snow conditions, Trollstigen is closed every winter. It usually reopens for the season in May or early June.

A necessary conclusion

After a rock hit a car on the tourist road on Monday, both the county of Møre og Romsdal and the contractor assessed the risk and examined possible measures. Geologists have also examined the area around the tourist road.

Only the Trollstigen road itself will be closed. The Trollstigen plateau will be accessible from the Valldal side of county road 63.

Trollstigen is one of the most popular tourist routes in the country. In 2019, over 1.1 million people visited the mountain pass. Unfortunately, tourism businesses on both sides of the pass are now facing a difficult summer.

“That is one of the reasons why we have been trying to keep this road open for several years and this year too, precisely because it is so important for the community. But now we simply have to say stop, because we are not sure about life and health. Life and health come first,” Tønnesen told NRK.