Excavators and dumpers. And King Carl XVI Gustaf, who with a car tour on newly paved meters inaugurated the repaired E6 after the landslide in Stenungsund.
However, the inauguration did not contain much pomp and circumstance.
The weather was changeable, windy, and intermittent. On the western side, work was still ongoing to prepare what remained to be done. The king's visit to the repaired road section was accompanied by the sound of excavators and dumpers.
The time was 14.17 when the king declared the rebuilt section reopened.
Thankfully, no one was killed in the disaster, he stated in his speech.
No ribbon was to be cut, but the king had chosen instead to take a premiere tour of the 400-meter newly paved section in front of representatives from the government, the municipality, various contractors, and the gathered press.
Safe and Secure
The road feels safe and secure, he summarized contentedly after the short car tour.
Residents in the area had expressed opinions that the inauguration should not be private. But project manager Daniel Svensson from the Swedish Transport Administration writes in a Facebook comment that the road area is still a workplace and therefore not everyone can be welcomed.
Satisfied for the day was the chairman of the municipal council in Stenungsund, Olof Lundberg (S).
This time, one should give the Swedish Transport Administration credit for working as fast as they could, he says. It's very relieving that they're opening the E6 so much faster than they initially said.
However, traffic will not be released until Friday morning, just in time for the so-called industrial summer vacation.
Large Sums
It was early in the morning on September 23 that a 400-meter long section of the E6 north of Stenungsund was affected by a landslide. A large area next to the road was also affected.
The exact amount for the repair is still unclear. In the spring budget, the government allocated an additional billion kronor to the Swedish Transport Administration so that the repair would not affect other planned road maintenance in the country. But the rebuilding will not spend the entire allocation.
We have been both faster and cheaper, says Daniel Svensson, project leader for the rebuilding project, without specifying a final amount.
In addition to the Swedish Transport Administration's costs, the municipality's project to restore Ucklumsvägen will also be added. The municipality's costs are estimated to be around 300 million kronor.
On September 23, 2023, at 01.20, the landslide started at the E6 near Stenungsund. The first alarm came in to SOS Alarm at 01.46. The landslide led to extensive damage to the road and nearby buildings.
In February 2024, the Swedish Transport Administration made a prognosis that the road would be ready "sometime between early autumn and the turn of the year".
On March 27, 2024, the prosecutor announced that three people are suspected of gross negligence, gross bodily harm, and unauthorized environmental activities. The investigation is ongoing.
On April 23, the Swedish Transport Administration announced that they are ahead of schedule and that the road will open during the summer.
On July 3, 2024, King Carl XVI Gustaf inaugurated the repaired road section.
On July 5 at 06.00, traffic will be released.
