Bruer og sundsteder

Bridges and straits

The strait with a capital "S" on Eiker was Haugsund – the strait by Haug Church – which in Eiker dialect was pronounced "Høkksunn" and spelled in countless ways throughout history (Hochsund, Høgsund, Hoxssund etc.). This was a natural point to cross the Storelva, since this was where the Drammensdalen valley opened up westwards, towards Fiskum, Sandsvær and Telemark.

Another important strait was at Skotselv. Nedre Eiker had two straits – one about where Mjøndalsbrua was later built, the other by Nedre Eiker church. The latter was called "Bokkesundet", supposedly because an unusually strong goat is said to have made it across, according to legend. Another important strait was Eikernsundet between Fiskumvannet and Eikern.

Otherwise, the streams and rivers were so small that it was possible to cross them on bridges. As early as the 15th century, there was a bridge over the Vestfosselva River at Vestfossen, and almost as early we hear about Hærebru, Dørjebru and Langebru. But there was no bridge over the Storelva River until the mid-19th century. Then an elegant wooden bridge was built at Hokksund – a milestone in Eiker's transportation history.

The other straits had to wait several decades before bridges were built there as well. Mjøndalsbrua was built in 1912, Eikernsund was connected by a bridge in 1924, and in 1928 the last strait at Eiker disappeared when a bridge was finally built between Skotselv and Østsida.

Outside the city of Drammen, the elegant wooden bridge between Haugsund and Sundbakken was for a long time the only option to cross the Drammenselva River without using a boat.