| Brevik Bridge | |
| Native Name: | Breviksbrua |
| Native Name Lang: | NO |
| Named For: | Brevik |
| Crosses: | Frierfjord |
| Locale: | Telemark, Norway |
| Owner: | Norwegian Public Roads Administration |
| Design: | Suspension bridge |
| Material: | Concrete and steel |
| Spans: | 19 |
| Pierswater: | 2 |
| Heritage: | Protected |
| Id: | 08-0580 |
| Id Type: | Bridge number |
| Open: | 26 May 1962 |
Brevik Bridge (Norwegian: Breviksbrua) is one of two bridges that span the mouth of the Frierfjord. It connects the municipalities of Bamble and Porsgrunn in Telemark county. On the west side, in Bamble, lies the town of Stathelle, while on the east side lies the town of Brevik in Porsgrunn.[1]
When the bridge opened in May 1962, it was part of the European route E18 highway. In 1996, the nearby Grenland Bridge (Norwegian: Grenlandsbrua) opened, taking over this role. Today, it is part of national road 354.
In 1997, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage were ordered to prepare a protection plan for state-owned roadworks in Norway. The final report published in 2002, National Protection Plan for Roads, Bridges, and Road-Related Cultural Heritage, recommended that both Brevik Bridge and Grenland Bridge be protected.[2] On April 17, 2008, the Directorate for Cultural Heritage officially protected the bridges' "construction and details" in accordance with the Cultural Heritage Act.[3]
On Saturday August 3, 2013, Linn Madelen Bråthen, age 33, was found dead on the shores of Sandøya. The police initially assumed the death was the result of a suicide jump from the Brevik Bridge.[4] Several days later the police announced they had charged a police officer with providing false testimony.[5] CCTV footage of the suspect together with Bråthen walking towards the bridge the night she died caused suspicion. The suspect was eventually charged with first-degree murder as the police thought he had pushed or thrown Bråthen off the bridge. Due to a lack of evidence the charge was changed to leaving Bråthen helpless, which lead to her death.[6]
In Lower Telemark district court, the suspect was found guilty and sentenced to 3 years in prison. In the Agder court of appeal he was still found guilty, but the prison time was reduced by 6 months. The suspect tried to get the case heard by the Supreme Court, but they rejected the case.[7]