The emergency closure of the Strömsund bridge following a heavy transport crossing forces emergency services in Jämtland to rely on extended detours, as Trafikverket works to remove the 100-ton vehicle while planning a temporary ferry connection across Ströms Vattudal.
When the Strömsund bridge over Ströms Vattudal gave way under the weight of a heavy transport late on Tuesday, September 29, it fundamentally disrupted daily life and critical infrastructure for more than 10,000 residents in the municipality. The 330-meter bridge, which serves as a vital link along the E45 highway, shifted vertically and horizontally by roughly 30 to 40 centimeters on its northern side after the 100-ton special transport crossed it.
The sudden structural failure immediately severed the direct connection between the town of Strömsund and Näsviken, turning a routine three-to-four-minute drive into a daily detour lasting an hour and a half or more. For emergency services, the roadblock introduces critical logistical hurdles in reaching communities on the opposite side of the water. Local residents and commuters face extensive adjustments, with drivers like Denise Häggblom forced to take long alternative routes spanning nearly a hundred kilometers each way to reach their workplaces. While some individuals have resorted to creative solutions such as water scooters to cross Ströms Vattudal, local business leaders warn that the protracted closure threatens severe economic burdens for regional enterprises and supply chains.
100-Ton Truck Exceeds Bridge Weight Limit
The heavy vehicle that triggered the closure was a 100-ton truck carrying a transformer station destined for Norway. The transport company, Nordic Crane, confirmed through its vice president Tom Brede Johansen that the driver was experienced and that permits, weights, and paperwork were all in order. Police also launched an investigation to determine whether any criminal offense occurred during the incident.
While the normal weight limit under the bridge’s BK4 load class is 74 tons, the transport operated with a special dispensation granted by Trafikverket. Adriano Maglica, national coordinator for large bridges at Trafikverket, noted that the transport itself was not unusually heavy by industrial standards and had successfully crossed 79 other bridges with the same BK4 classification before reaching Strömsund, which was the 80th bridge on its route to Mo i Rana.
The bridge itself had recently undergone extensive renovation work between 2021 and 2023, which included replacing the stay cables. During the autumn of 2023, workers adjusted the bridge’s height while mounting dampers and drainage gutters, and the load-bearing capacity was upgraded to BK4 during 2024 and 2025. Peter Jonsson, media communicator at Trafikverket, explained that the bridge is designed to lift in the middle and press down at the ends like an arch, meaning that the resulting dip in the center occurred because the structure lost a fastening point.
Trafikverket Works to Remove Stranded Vehicle
The damaged transport remains stranded on the bridge, creating a complex removal puzzle for Trafikverket. Crews have begun placing counterweights on the structure step by step, taking ongoing measurements to ensure the vehicle can be cleared without causing additional structural damage.
Until the heavy truck is removed, engineers cannot inspect the entirety of the bridge, evaluate the internal stresses on the concrete and beams, or assess the relatively new cables installed during earlier upgrades. Consequently, authorities have not provided a firm reopening date. While a preliminary one-month closure estimate has circulated, officials emphasize that no definitive timeline can be set until a complete inspection takes place.
Traffic Diverts to Gravel Road and Ferry
In the absence of the bridge, all through traffic on the E45 is being diverted along a 3.5-mile gravel road via road 795 from Hallviken and road 345 through Ulriksfors.
Normal daily traffic across the bridge typically ranges between 2,000 and 2,400 vehicles, of which 200 to 400 are heavy transports. Trafikverket and municipal road crews now conduct daily inspections and nighttime maintenance—including graveling and grading—to manage the increased wear on the detour route.
To help relieve the bottleneck, Trafikverket announced plans to establish a temporary emergency ferry service across Vattudalen. Theresa Gellerstedt, regional maintenance manager at Trafikverket, stated that investigations on site confirmed sufficient water depth and suitable conditions for constructing docking points. Two ready-to-run ferries arrived in Strömsund, and Britta Munksten, environmental protection officer at the County Administrative Board of Jämtland, noted that the clearance for water operations was issued quickly due to the acute nature of the situation, bypassing the standard month-and-a-half waiting period.
