Norway’s King Harald transported by police helicopter after bridge closure

King Harald was flown by police helicopter from Nøtterøy to Sandefjord Airport Torp on Monday after the Kanalbrua bridge between Nøtterøy and Tønsberg was closed to traffic, Dagbladet reports.

The Royal House confirmed the flight, stating the king required helicopter transport to reach the airport for his scheduled county tour of Vestland. “The reason is that issues have arisen with the Kanalbrua bridge in Tønsberg,” communications director Guri Varpe told the newspaper.

Photographs obtained by Dagbladet show the king, smiling, boarding the helicopter at a former military site on Mågerø. The helicopter landed at Sandefjord Airport Torp, where the king was later observed by an NTB photographer.

Long queues formed on both the Nøtterøy and Tønsberg sides of the bridge during the closure. The king and queen own an exclusive cabin on nearby Tjøme in Nøtterøy municipality.

Queen Sonja will not accompany the king on the Vestland tour due to health reasons.