Shade-seeking reindeers shut highway tunnel

Norwegian authorities were forced to close part of a motorway in the Arctic after reindeer invaded a road tunnel, seeking refuge from unusually high summer temperatures on Monday.
The Stallogargo tunnel on the RV94 motorway, near Hammerfest, has been closed since Monday. Car drivers have had to find an alternative route up until Wednesday to reach the road at the other end of the tunnel which heads to Hammerfest.
A spokeswomen for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration said to The Local: "The tunnel was re-opened from 11.30am on Wednesday."
The tunnel's closure is due to a herd of reindeer inside it, who are sheltering in the tunnel's shade from the unusually high summer temperatures, which reached 22 degrees on Monday.
Tor Inge Hellander, head of section for operation and maintenance in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, said to “Finnmark Dagblad”: “As long as the reindeer go in and we cannot get them out, we consider driving inside the tunnel more dangerous than driving outside of it.”
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.