Bispelokket

Bispelokket

Coordinates: 59°54′29″N 10°45′19″E / 59.9080°N 10.7553°E

Bispelokket (literally "bishops lid") was a Norwegian three-level stack interchange roundabout in Bjørvika, Oslo. European Route E18 and Norwegian National Road 162 (until 2010: National Road 4) jointed at this point, which also served as the official traffical centre of the city. The new roundabout at Postgirobygget is from October 31, 2011, the new traffical centre of Oslo.

Bispelokket gradually opened between 1966 and 1968, and was visited by at the most 140,000 vehicles a day until Bjørvikatunnelen was introduced as a complete tunnel system in 2010 and the amount declined to 40,000.^[1] Bispelokket ceased to function as a roundabout on October 28, 2011, at 10 pm. The physical demolition was launched by the Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg, November 4, 2011, at 1:46 pm.^[2] As a complex road intersection, Bispelokket was not recognized as an aesthetical suitable landmark in the cityline of Oslo.

Sinsenkrysset is from October 31 the most visited Norwegian road intersection by 100,000 vehicles a day.

Demolition

Bispelokket, including all on and offramps, are to be demolished by late 2012. Nylandsvegen bridge, which is connected to Bispelokket through NNR 162, will be gradually demolished to fit the new intersection planned on ground level. It will not, at any point, be completely unavailable for vehicles. Instead, the traffic will be reduced from two lanes to one in each direction in addition to the new Norenga bridge, opened on August 29, 2011. Dronning Eufemias gate will from 2014 be a new avenue, located parially on the same route as the old E18 and connected to the new intersection. It will serve as a future main road through the new borough Bjørvika after the Fjord City urban renewal project is finished. The demolition also enables space for the building of a new national library, the Deichman Library.

References

1. Wasim K. Riaz (October 25, 2011). "Her blir det køkaos i ett år". Aftenposten. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
2. Tuva Gaarder Nordlie og Ingrid Vestre Haram (November 4, 2011). "Rivingen av Bispelokket har startet". NRK. Retrieved November 7, 2011.