The European route E45 near Lilla Edet in Sweden was blocked by a landslide and heavy rain. Residents of nearby houses had to be evacuated. The E45 is one of the longest routes in Europe, connecting Norway with Sicily.
The E45 is one of the three most important roads running from north to south in Europe. Just after 7pm on Sunday, the route was blocked in both directions near Lilla Edet near Gothenburg by heavy rain and a landslide. According to the emergency services, at least 20 buildings were damaged. Residents of nearby houses had to be evacuated. Authorities are preparing for more landslides.
– The roadway has been damaged due to heavy rain, Felicia Danielsson, spokeswoman for the Swedish Transport Authority, said on Monday morning. She added that 14 kilometres of the E45 road are closed. Drivers were redirected to the E6 road, which reopened in early July this year after repairs.
Cars in the water
The downpour also caused a section of the E45 to rise. According to reports, about 30 cars were stuck in the water, and several people had to be evacuated.
– At first we thought we would be able to open the road after a few days, but there is so much water that it will take longer, Karin Hedemalm of the Swedish Transport Authority told Expressen.
Landslides
This is yet another landslide in the area in recent years. Almost exactly a year ago, the E6 route connecting Oslo with Sweden was closed for the same reason. Although there were no casualties, it took over half a year to repair the damage. As a result of the flood in early August 2023, two people died in Norway. Over four thousand people were evacuated, and the material losses were estimated at 3.5 billion Norwegian kroner, or about one and a half billion złoty.
Main image source: Syre/X