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In ancient times, there were
several routes between Skjåk and Stryn. The old routes were used only for
pack horses and riding, and the local farmers were obligated to keep the
routes passable. The main artery between east and west passes through
Sundalen and Raudalen.
In earlier times, the main traffic artery between east and west passed
through Sundalen and Raudalen. In 1881 a decision was taken to build a road
over Strynefjellet from Hjelle to Grotli. In 1894, the first travellers
could travel across the mountain by car. At the time, Gamle Strynefjellsveg
was viewed as a masterpiece of road building. Today it is primarily the
beautiful stone strctures that catch our attention - along Langvatnet lake,
at Tystigen and Videster, and not least of all the famous Jøl bridge.
Swedish migrant workers and villagers on both sides of the mountain
participated in the road construction work. The work was grueling, and the
food and accommodations were poor. The workdays were often long. The season
lasted from when the snow melted in June or July until out in September.
Up until the 1950s, Strynefjellsvegen was partly cleared manually of snow
during the autumn. A stretch of about 50 km was cleared by 200 men with
shovels, half starting on each side of the mountain. The snow was shovelled
from man to man, and often had to be repeated after a sudden summer
snowstorm.
In the middle of the mountain, the snow could be as much as several metres
deep. The first snow clearing machines came to Strynefjellet in the 1940s.
In 1969, work started on the year-round road across Strynefjellet. The road
- which has three tunnels and passes through 12 km in all - was finished in
1978. |
