CME Expedition 5

Location: Skien, Norway.
Members: 001.
Type: Shelter, Garage.
Status: Active / Re-Used.

This is one of those, "Why didn't I take pictures while I still had the chance?!" type places.
I'm talking about a former bomb shelter complex in the center of town. I was out ordering some take-away the other day, partly as an excuse to take closer look at this place. Besides..I was just plain old hungry. Public parking areas in the center of Skien had long been an issue of debate. Finally a company was started with the aim of constructing a parking garage into the rock, close to the city center. This was seen as a practical solution, much due to the fact that this place was hollow to begin with, as it had previously been a bomb shelter that the government was now trying to sell. How far back the history of this place goes is uncertain. I tried to do some research, and luckily stumbled upon archives concerning the civil defence of this region. That being said, they were still classified until about 2030-2040. (Oh, how I would have loved to take closer look at those.) But what I can say is that what is now the walking entrance/exit (pictures below) used to have gates and double blast proof doors. They refurbished this area and then drilled a drive-in entrance straight into the mountain a few meters up the street. After having been at it for at least a year or so, the new parking garage opened for public use in the spring of 2010. But there were a few complications along the way..(Newsarticle In Norwegian.) For those of you who read the report from Expedition 3, the entrance in the last two pictures of that report is located straight above this garage / former bomb shelter. There are things indicating that there could be more to this parking garage than meets the eye when you come inside, I believe it originally extended further, but I'll get back to that. Enough talk, it's picture time..

Drive-In

Walk-In

The parking area spans at least 3 stories into the ground, or 6 half-floors. If you notice the walls in the next picture, they appear to be just plain rock, covered with concrete. This could turn out to support my theory about this place originaly being larger than what meets the eye, but first..the walls.

The Walls

So when you keep driving down towards the very bottom of this complex, taking u-turns at every floor, all the walls look like those in the picture above, until you get to the bottom floor that is..

Sealed Off?

When you get to the bottom floor and could be expected to take another u-turn you meet this straight, smooth looking wall, in great contrast to the rest of the complex. Could this be a bricked up, sealed off part of the former bomb shelter? I Don't know, I'm only speculating here, but there a few other interesting features in this place. Next  up, a picture of a door that leads further into the mountain in the back of the complex.

Who Knows Where This Goes?

Ok, there are a few more things to substantiate my claims. First off, drawing lines on maps reveals that the main train tunnel through the city, that is mentioned in earlier reports must be right behind this complex somewhere. For many years there have been discussions amongst local politicans about proposals for a new train station located inside this mountain, instead of, just north of the city center where it's presently located. Guess where one of the proposed entrances to this intended train station would be? Yes, exactly where this garage later turned out to be built! Second, I already mentioned above that the two last pictures in report 3 are located above the garage, but it's hard to say where, (if at all) the stairs end up in this parking garage. Third, the rest of the expedition 3 report contains pictures of a complex that is in so close proximity to this garage that it would be rather odd if they weren't connected in one way or another. Fouth, a few meters down the street from the walk-in entrance, and just below the expedition 3 site, we find this little beauty..

Not The Car..The Gate!!

This is confirmed to be the entrance to telecom tunnels. I read a report about former employees of a telecom company that was once located in the building you get a glimpse of to the left. They were back on a reunion type thing, and they got a guided tour of the tunnels. Meaning there is more than just a single room behind this gate. As a last little interesting feature on the outside, I'll leave you with this little door right next to the walk-in entrance. During the bomb shelter years, this door would have been located right inside of the gates and it has these small bolt looking things all over. Imagine the hull of an early 1900's ship and you get the idea..

Heavy Metal

This mountain right in the heart of the city is starting to look like swiss cheese, full of holes..

-Caveman 001-