Svalbard Traffic ban on Road 300
Entry ban
No entry on Road 300 from vei 501 to Sverdrupbyen
Sysselmesteren (the Governor of Svalbard) has banned movement and staying on Road 300 from the junction with vei 501 to Sverdrupbyen, on the slope above the road and at the buildings around Sverdrupbyen, because rocks may fall from Platåberget. People may stay in Huset if they use the entrance on the river side. The ban holds from 29 October at 13:30 until further notice.
No entryFor reference
The Governor of Svalbard has decided to introduce a traffic ban on Road 300, from the junction with Road 501 all the way up to and including Sverdrupbyen. This measure is due to the risk of rockfalls or rock avalanches from Platåberget.
On Wednesday, 28 October, a rockfall occurred from Platåberget, opposite the cemetery, with a boulder landing on the road. No people or infrastructure were harmed. The Longyearbyen Community Council closed the road to all traffic and presence that same day.
Warm air masses over the past few weeks have weakened the stability of the mountainsides and increased the risk of rockfalls. The weather is expected to remain relatively mild, with further precipitation forecast for the weekend.
Based on a landslide hazard assessment conducted by Skred AS for the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) in 2022, rockfalls, rock avalanches, and debris slides are all potential hazards on the mountainside above the road under current weather conditions.
Consequently, the Governor of Svalbard has introduced a traffic and presence ban in the following areas:
• Road 300, from the junction with Road 501, extending south all the way to Sverdrupbyen. The ban also applies on the upper side of the road.
• Buildings in and around Sverdrupbyen, down toward "Huset."
The ban does not apply to presence within "Huset," provided that the entrance on the river side is used.
The ban applies from 29 October 2026 at 13:30 and until further notice.