# [IS] Iceland | road infrastructure • Vegar á Íslandi



## wyqtor (Jan 15, 2007)

I found some nice pictures of roads in Iceland some time before discovering this forum. I just remembered about them:

http://www.ajfroggie.com/roadpics/iceland/index.html

http://www.cbrd.co.uk/reference/international/iceland.shtml

Very remote country but with standards of living just as high as the Scandinavian countries - I guess it runs in the (viking) family. The roads are still somewhat lacking, i.e. not many roads are paved. Most roads are concentrated in the Reykjavík area.

I hope I spelled the title correctly in Icelandic  .


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

190.000 of 313.000 Icelanders live near Reykjavík. Hence the zero traffic.

A very interesting site: http://www.vegagerdin.is/english/

You can see real-time road conditions, the number of traffic in the last 10 minutes, and since midnight. 

This kind of stuff:


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

I think it's good to read a few tips before driving in Iceland. And don't forget a 4×4, if planning to criss-cross it.  Btw, everything you post here, can go directly to "Remote roads".


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Some parts of the circular road around the island have less than 50 cars a day...

Funny sign showing ranches.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

There are sexy signs in Iceland:










=)


And if you thought there was no way of building motorways in Iceland, here you go. Supposedly by 2010 the A0 shall have been finished (I wonder if there's any progress):









_http://www.iceland.pl/archiw/040401i2.html_


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## x-type (Aug 19, 2005)

A-half?


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## SmarterChild (Jun 19, 2007)

That seems like a useless stretch of motorways.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^ Ditto, hehe.



x-type said:


> A-half?


Hehe, no, it's A1/2, meaning A1 and A2. Apparently.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

For the A1/2 it says in the link it will be "podziemnej trasy", which in Polish means "(of) underground route". I don't know why it would be underground, are Icelanders building world's longest tunnel?


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## SmarterChild (Jun 19, 2007)

^ Well with their climate building it underground guarantees it beeing year-round passable, but an underground motorway serving a few towns just can't be feasible. :crazy2:


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Yeah right. The stairs in my home have more traffic than such a motorway


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## snupix (Apr 27, 2005)

SmarterChild said:


> ^ Well with their climate building it underground guarantees it beeing year-round passable, but an underground motorway serving a few towns just can't be feasible. :crazy2:


In that case it would probably be more feasible just to cover it than building underground.


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## SmarterChild (Jun 19, 2007)

from icelandic wiki; *Highway 1/Þjóðvegur 1*


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## 54°26′S 3°24′E (Oct 26, 2007)

Verso said:


> For the A1/2 it says in the link it will be "podziemnej trasy", which in Polish means "(of) underground route". I don't know why it would be underground, are Icelanders building the world's longest tunnel?


There are geysirs (in fact, the original Geysir is in Iceland, but is no longer active), hot springs, boiling mud, and active vulcanoes all over Iceland. I would definately not feel comfortable in a multi-km tunnel in that country, but I would probably stay warm enough.....


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## jkjkjk (Feb 28, 2007)

That article from Polish server is just April Fools' Day joke..


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^ OMG, you're right! :hammer:


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## RV (Oct 23, 2007)

Google Maps shows that Reykjavik has got some 2x3-highways. Does someone have pics of them?


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

A friend of my travels a lot to Iceland. Here are some pics;






















































































































:cheers:


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## Czas na Żywiec (Jan 17, 2005)

Chriszwolle said:


> A friend of my travels a lot to Iceland. Here are some pics;
> 
> :cheers:


Thanks for the pics. kay:


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## Jeroen669 (Nov 29, 2006)

Chriszwolle said:


>


Einbreid Bru. Even without the image it's well understandable.  Does the icelandic language look a bit like scandinavic languages like norwegian or danish?


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

This doesn't mean relocate existing hospital, but build them in places accessible also by public transport (and also by road).


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## Fuzzy Llama (Jan 24, 2009)

Ekhm, guise? "Roads in Iceland", not "Hospitals in New York"?
Make a pro/anti sprawl thread on Citytalk... oh wait, there is like a hundred of them


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

Sure, Iceland is big when you look at the map but what remains when you have deducted the glaciers, the lakes, the central highlands, the sandy flood plains, the modern era lava formations, the wetlands, the steep slopes and the ecologically sensitive areas? Only a tiny fraction of the land area that is actually suitable for human habitation. Land is not abundant and we have no less a reason to sensibly manage its use than do other European nations. I would very much hate to see every suitable piece of land in the southwest be consumed by sprawl but that will be the reality if the development trends of the last few decades continue in the future.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

The Icelandic Road Administration has released a draft of the environmental impact report for the expansion of a 13 km section of Suðurlandsvegur to four lanes. This is the section between the towns of Hveragerði and Selfoss but it is a part of the wider scheme to connect Reykjavík and Selfoss with a four lane road for a total distance 50 km. The section currently has a AADT of 7500 but with a large seasonal variation where traffic is much higher in summers. The projected AADT for 2030 is 15000.

This section involves four dumbbell interchanges, a side road for local access and a new crossing over the river Ölfusá. There are two options for crossing the river, one with a single bridge with a span of 190 meters and another one involving two bridges and stopping on an island in the river. The bridges of the latter option would have spans of 150 meters and 120 meters.

Sadly, it will be a while before we can fetch the shovels and start working on this. If the government has its way and manages to start collecting tolls on all the main roads around Reykjavík it might be possible to start this in 2011-2012 but if it fails to implement tolls, nothing is going to happen for many many years.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

My vision for the roads of Iceland in 2030.








Blue: Dual carriageway with at least four lanes and complete grade-separation.
Orange: 2+1 road with a steel-cable barrier. Greatly reduced number of local access roads and grade-separation at the busiest intersections.
Green: Important long-distance routes. Built to a good two-lane standard with improved surface quality, road layout and safety features.
Red dotted: New road tunnels. Currently existing tunnels and tunnels currently under construction are not indicated on the map.
Pink dashed: The "Cross-Mordor Expressway". The potential of building paved roads across the central highlands has long been debated. It would greatly reduce distances between parts of the country but winter conditions would be hard to deal with. Such a road would also be controversial from an environmental perspective since it plows through pristine wilderness. I think such a road should only be built by a private entity and financed through tolls so it does not compete for funding with the other routes in the plan.


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

Hedinsfjardargong opening delayed
At the beginning of April, 2009, the last 40 m of the Hedinsfjardargong tunnel between Ólafsfjördur and Siglufjördur in north Iceland was blasted open. The tunnel will shorten the distance between the two towns to 15 km. Currently, residents have to choose between the 62 km road across Lágheidi mountain, which is closed in winter, and the 234 km road across Öxnadalsheidi mountain. The EUR 42 million tunnel project, undertaken by Háfell ehf. in cooperation with Czech company Metrostav, has been delayed by six months and is now scheduled to open in June, 2010. Click is/19 and visit www.metrostav.cz www.hafell.is and http://vgwww.vegagerdin.is/hedinsfjardargong.nsf. 51/09.

From http://www.tunnelbuilder.com/


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

^^The opening date for the tunnels has been pushed back again since this report. September 30th 2010 is the new target date.


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## bebe.2006 (Dec 9, 2005)

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelbe_Autobahn










Keflavík - Reykjavík

Translation:
In Iceland, there are no highway signs, but there are some Dual carriageway. By 2008, there were a total of 16 km, all close to Reykjavík. The end of 2008 has opened a further 28 km long motorway-like road that leads from Keflavík to Reykjavík.


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## ea1969 (Oct 6, 2007)

How are things going with the recent volcanic activity on the nearby road network? I have read that there was the intention to demolish some bridges in order to leave the flooded water to pass without damaging at least the foundations of the bridges so they might be reconstructed easier.


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## Fargo Wolf (Oct 23, 2009)

ea1969 said:


> How are things going with the recent volcanic activity on the nearby road network? I have read that there was the intention to demolish some bridges in order to leave the flooded water to pass without damaging at least the foundations of the bridges so they might be reconstructed easier.


The flash flooding caused by the eruption would simply wash the bridges away anyway, due to the sheer volume of water. It's happened before. It just means everyone will have to drive on the unaffected part of the "Ring Road" (Insert a few Icelandic swear words here)


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

ea1969 said:


> How are things going with the recent volcanic activity on the nearby road network? I have read that there was the intention to demolish some bridges in order to leave the flooded water to pass without damaging at least the foundations of the bridges so they might be reconstructed easier.


When the eruption started, the road was torn up in some places to make the flood water pass more easily so it wouldn't damage the bridge. This has worked so far. The bridge has now survived several flash floods over the last few days but much of the surround roads have been washed away. Fixing the road can be done cheaply and quickly as soon as this is over, losing the bridge would be much more expensive.


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## Fargo Wolf (Oct 23, 2009)

So the authorities had an idea of how the water would flow as the glacier melted then I take it. But yeah, rebuilding the road is far easier than replacing the bridge.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

I believe there are yearly floods in this area in springtime anyhow.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

Ingenioren said:


> I believe there are yearly floods in this area in springtime anyhow.


There are higher water levels in springtime of course, but rarely threatening to roads and bridges. Flash floods from volcanic eruptions under glaciers are much more severe.


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## iMiros (Aug 21, 2009)

this is the 2x2 highway around Reykjavik. There are several intersections on two levels.


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## Fargo Wolf (Oct 23, 2009)

Bjarki said:


> There are higher water levels in springtime of course, but rarely threatening to roads and bridges. Flash floods from volcanic eruptions under glaciers are much more severe.


Exactly. The flooding in the spring is taken into account as best as possible. The volcanic eruptions take that planning and fire it out the proverbial window.


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## Alexriga (Nov 25, 2007)

What are the fees for over speeding? 

Those roads look perfect for ultra fast driving especially those empty highways.

What is the fee in euro if I drive 140 - 160 - 180 km/h there? 

How many policeman around?


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

^^
140 km/h a fine of 130,000 ISK (€759) and one month suspension of drivers license
160 km/h a fine of 150,000 ISK (€875) and three months suspension of drivers license
180 km/h a criminal charge will be brought, a court mandated fine of at least 200,000 ISK (€1,167) and a suspension of drivers license for 6 months or more.

Chance of getting caught: Decreasing the further you get away from Reykjavík but still far too high to risk it IMHO.


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## Alexriga (Nov 25, 2007)

Bjarki said:


> ^^
> 140 km/h a fine of 130,000 ISK (€759) and one month suspension of drivers license
> 160 km/h a fine of 150,000 ISK (€875) and three months suspension of drivers license
> 180 km/h a criminal charge will be brought, a court mandated fine of at least 200,000 ISK (€1,167) and a suspension of drivers license for 6 months or more.
> ...


 Omg, i quit this idea 

In Latvia if you get caught in 140 km/h fee is more like 200 euro and no suspension of driving license. I better drive here. Cops accept bribes widely here.

But I guess I could just say I have no money and throw penalty check into trash at home as foreigner because no administrative process can get you abroad, only serious crime.


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## TohrAlkimista (Dec 18, 2006)

Bjarki said:


> ^^
> 140 km/h a fine of 130,000 ISK (€759) and one month suspension of drivers license
> 160 km/h a fine of 150,000 ISK (€875) and three months suspension of drivers license
> 180 km/h a criminal charge will be brought, a court mandated fine of at least 200,000 ISK (€1,167) and a suspension of drivers license for 6 months or more.
> ...


mg:

Serious stuff!


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Why would you want to drive more than 50 over the limit anyway? Not all of Europe is like the Netherlands with ridiculously low speed limits. 90 km/h is a fine cruise speed for two-lane roads in my opinion.


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## TheFlyPL (Jun 21, 2007)

WoW!

In Poland if you drive 140 on highway you wouldn't be even stopped by police. They always accept a few more km/h. The lowest fine is 100zł (25€) and hardly ever is higher than 400-500zł (100-120€) and those are for people driving 200km/h on simple roads (90km/h limmit).


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## 1772 (Aug 18, 2009)

I for one has crossed the entire island and I loved it. 
One true experience for the making.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

Alexriga said:


> But I guess I could just say I have no money and throw penalty check into trash at home as foreigner because no administrative process can get you abroad, only serious crime.


You will loose you're driving permit at site - your vehicle will be confiscated, and you will be forced to walk back to Reykjavik :lol:


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## Uppsala (Feb 26, 2010)

Do they have any plans to introduce the motorway sign in Iceland? If they are going to introduce it i think they must be blue, something like this.


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## 1772 (Aug 18, 2009)

Uppsala said:


> Do they have any plans to introduce the motorway sign in Iceland? If they are going to introduce it i think they must be blue, something like this.


Well, since they really don't have any motorways in Iceland, I don't really see the point.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

Road 41 to Keflavik could have this sign, but i believe the reason for not labelling it motorway is the lack of alternative roads for Mopeds, farm equipment etc. If such an alternative road was established i'm sure Vegagerdin would implement the European motorway sign


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

Ingenioren said:


> Road 41 to Keflavik could have this sign, but i believe the reason for not labelling it motorway is the lack of alternative roads for Mopeds, farm equipment etc. If such an alternative road was established i'm sure Vegagerdin would implement the European motorway sign


Yes, the lack of alternative roads for slower traffic that is prohibited on motorways makes sure that road 41 can't be designated as a motorway. I believe it would also need a physical barrier down the central median to conform to motorway standards. Currently, the central median is just empty space and it's quite possible for an out-of-control vehicle to cross the median and hit traffic going in the other direction.


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## IceCheese (Dec 20, 2006)

^^In Norway fence/barrier is not mandatory if the distance between lanes is great enough (I think 5 meters).

edit: for new roads, it seems physical barrier is demanded now, but old roads with >5 m distance between lanes, are still signed motorway


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

Yeah, back in the days there where talks to turn E18 Vestfold into a 110 km/h testing stretch there was discussed to add rails in the middle, but since that was scraped i think the project was abandoned.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

The median on road 41 is quite wide, 10 meters I think.

There are currently proposals before the Icelandic parliament to to allow 110 km/h as a maximum speed limit on certain roads. Road 41 is the only one where this could be applied I think.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Some pics of Iceland (source = Marcel Monterie)


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## JuanPaulo (Feb 26, 2004)

Nice pics! So is Iceland the only country that uses yellow for informational sings? And what does it mean when the route number frame is dashed instead of solid? Under construction perhaps?


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Germany uses yellow signs as well on non-motorways. 

Broken frames means it is an indirect number, you're driving to it, but you're not on it yet. It is used often in Northern Europe, and sometimes in Germany as well.


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## RipleyLV (Jun 4, 2008)

JuanPaulo said:


> So is Iceland the only country that uses yellow for informational sings?


All ex-Yugoslavian countries use yellow signs.


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## Norsko (Feb 22, 2007)

Norway (wich copied the German signage system) and Luxemburg uses yellow signage aswell.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

To clarify different colors of Icelandic direction signs:
Blue background with white font and border => Only used for overhead sign bridges
White background with blue font and border => Used within the urban limits of the Reykjavík area.
Yellow background with black font and border => Used everywhere else.

I don't know the reasoning behind the different color schemes, it may just be for aesthetical reasons. The signs within urban limits of other towns in Iceland outside Reykjavík are still yellow.


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## JuanPaulo (Feb 26, 2004)

Thank you guys for the explanations. I never saw informative signs in yellow. I thought yellows was always reserved for preventive signs.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Bjarki said:


> Héðinsfjarðargöng (Héðinsfjörður Tunnels)
> *What:* A road link connecting two towns in northern Iceland involving two tunnels.
> *Why:* To shorten the distance between the towns of Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður from 62 km (summer) or 234 km (winter) down to 15 km (all seasons).
> *When: *Construction started in May 2006 and the tunnels are projected to be opened in September 2010.
> ...


Are these tunnels already opened?


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## bogdymol (Feb 4, 2010)

ChrisZwolle said:


> Some pics of Iceland (source = Marcel Monterie)


Where is this sign? In continental Europe this is used at land border crossings.


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## ea1969 (Oct 6, 2007)

^^
Possibly it is on a road that leaves from a port that handles international ferry traffic.


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## Fargo Wolf (Oct 23, 2009)

ea1969 said:


> ^^
> Possibly it is on a road that leaves from a port that handles international ferry traffic.


I'm inclined to agree. I know the name of the ferry that goes to Iceland, but can't remember the port. The only other place I can think of, is leaving the airport outside of Reykjavik.


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## Maxx☢Power (Nov 16, 2005)

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/24094003 - "near Keflavik airport"


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

I've seen such signs at ferry ports of continental Europe (for example Denmark and the Netherlands), so I'd expect them too at Icelandic ports and airports.


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## Fargo Wolf (Oct 23, 2009)

Makes sense to me Chris.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

ChrisZwolle said:


> Are these tunnels already opened?


They open this Saturday, October 2nd. Last weekend another tunnel was opened in the northwestern region, the 5400 meter long tunnel to Bolungarvík. (Here is an information booklet in English about that tunnel).


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

bogdymol said:


> Where is this sign? In continental Europe this is used at land border crossings.


I have seen it near Akureyri as well. Maybe because the airport there is designated as an international airport although there are not many scheduled international flights to there.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

There are currently no toll roads in Iceland except for the tunnel under Hvalfjörður. It is tolled because it was built as a private initiative in 1998 but it is supposed to handed over to the state in 2018 at the latest.

Since the recession started in 2008, money has been tight with the Icelandic government and a strict IMF austerity program has been in force which prevents much spending on new roads. This is the reason why road tolls are now being proposed by the ministry of transportation. The idea is to put up toll stations on each of the three main roads out of Reykjavík, effectively locking up the capital behind a paywall. The tolls collected would be used on upgrades of these same roads.

Needless to say, these proposals are extremely unpopular, especially with people who live in Reykjavík's satellite towns, many of whom commute to the city every day. Personally, I am not sure if the politicians manage to push this through.

The upgrades that are supposed to be funded through these tolls can be seen on the following map. The red segments mean that the road would be upgraded to 4 lanes and the green segments mean an upgrade to a 2+1 road with a wire barrier in the middle.


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## bogdymol (Feb 4, 2010)

*Another Icelandic eruption: Grimsvotn volcano*












> The road near the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur, May 24, 2011. People living next to the glacier where the Grimsvotn volcano burst into life were most affected, with ash shutting out the daylight and smothering buildings and vehicles. The outburst is the volcano's most powerful since 1873 and stronger than the Eyjafjallajokull volcano which caused trouble last year. Scientists say this type of ash less easily dispersed but winds have so far been more favorable. (Ingolfur Juliusson/Reuters) #


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## Schweden (Jan 5, 2008)

So, this summer I'm going on a road trip to... Iceland  We will drive around the whole island. Is there any particular stretch you want me to photograph?


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

^ 

Wouldn't mind a report from þjóðvegur 41










Reykjavik urban roads:










2+1 section þjóðvegur 1:










Funny road signs:


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

^^Nice pics!


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## Fargo Wolf (Oct 23, 2009)

Schweden said:


> So, this summer I'm going on a road trip to... Iceland  We will drive around the whole island. Is there any particular stretch you want me to photograph?


This is gonna sound weird, but I would love to see some pics of all bridges, tunnels avalanche galleries and ferries. I've always been interested in them, ever since I was little.


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## Schweden (Jan 5, 2008)

I won't be going until August, though! Gonna try to meet all your demands!


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## Fargo Wolf (Oct 23, 2009)

No worries.


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## Comfortably Numb (Dec 19, 2007)

Delete.


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## Comfortably Numb (Dec 19, 2007)

Bump.

Driving around Reykjavik:


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Comfortably Numb said:


> Bump.
> 
> Driving around Reykjavik:
> 
> [


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Jökulsárlón - Vik* Road 1


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## geor (Nov 3, 2011)

This is my first visit to this site. What to say to the country to which I have the most simpathy: nice and hard working people, nice and clear country, nice and clear roads. Greetings from Croatia.


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## Jeroen669 (Nov 29, 2006)

^^ Absolutely stunning pictures.  

The emptyness and rough nature seem so overwhelming, even though I've seen parts of scotland which are getting relatively close to this. Would love to go to Iceland some day, if it only wouldn't be such an expensive country..


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## geor (Nov 3, 2011)

Schweden said:


> So, this summer I'm going on a road trip to... Iceland  We will drive around the whole island. Is there any particular stretch you want me to photograph?


It would be nice to take a photo at roads with geizirs background or volcanos.


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Vik - Skaftafell * Road 1


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Satyricon84 said:


> *Vik - Skaftafell * Road 1


I have imagined the Nr 1 road as wider.

A thought: Is it possible to drive the whole nr 1 road around iceland without expedition-like preparations ?

I mean are there any open gas stations, restaurants, motels or campings outside the Reykjavik & Aukureiri-area ?

What happends if your car brakes down at Skaftafell ?


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## Schweden (Jan 5, 2008)

NordikNerd said:


> I have imagined the Nr 1 road as wider.
> 
> A thought: Is it possible to drive the whole nr 1 road around iceland without expedition-like preparations ?
> 
> ...


Yes, it is possible to drive around Iceland without any preparations at all. There are gas stations every 50 km or so. And if your car breaks down, don't worry, there are many cars travelling on this road. Well, at least you won't have to wait for hours.

Also, I did travel to Iceland this summer! I'm afraid I can't find the pictures taken with my real camera, however I got some photos taken with my mobile phone. These photos are however not better than any other photos out there (flickr, panoramio), so I see no point in uploading them. However, I'll be happy to answer any questions regarding the Icelandic road network.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

NordikNerd said:


> I have imagined the Nr 1 road as wider.


It's not even paved all the way...


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

You can find Icelandic traffic volumes here:
http://www.vegagerdin.is/upplysingar-og-utgafa/umferdin/umfthjodvegum/

Note that Highway 1 on the east side of the island carries less than 500 vehicles per day in many spots, in some areas even less than 100 vehicles per day.


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## Blackraven (Jan 19, 2006)

Interesting figures there, CZ. There were some people who were worried that the capital Reykjavik is becoming too crowded with cars. Hmm.........with the figures you posted, it looks like Iceland doesn't have to worry yet regarding vehicular overpopulation. 

In short, enjoy the drive.

Oh and, wow, I think it would be great to rent a car and drive to and from and between the world-renowned Blue Lagoon spa (in Grindavik), Keflavik International Airport as well as Reykjavik (the capital).

That would be a really fun drive imho 

P.S.
By the way Chris, I remember what you said 2-3 years ago.




Coccodrillo said:


> Good planification = build hospitals and stadiums near railway or metro stations (just an example).





ChrisZwolle said:


> Yeah let's demolish dozens of city blocks to build a hospital with 10% less parking spots :lol:
> 
> Such facilities almost always have a interregional function. It's doesn't have much use to relocate them to a transit-accessible area unless you're in a New York City-sized city. It will siphon off some traffic, but you redirect massive traffic flows towards areas with a road network not suited for heavy traffic.
> I can't imagine relocating my city's hospital (5.900 employees) from the ring road to a location near the railway station. That would create uncontrollable traffic congestion.


Nice response Chris.

It's amazing that you can create good responses and counter arguments against claims made my anti-road and anti-car people.

I admire you for that and hopefully I can think of making responses and counter rebuttals whenever I encounter such people and their plans (i.e. reduce car ownership, congestion charge, road pricing, increase vehicle costs, etc etc)

IMHO
Transport is a matter of freedom of choice. You should have the right to choose whatever means you want (i.e. taxi, bus, train or any other rail-based transport, bicycle, pedicab, jeepney, tricycle, private car, motorcycle/motorbike, walk/on-foot, etc etc.)

However, I do not like those who insist on imposing restrictions on a certain mode of transport. The anti-road and anti-car extremists need to take a hike.

:bash:


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## Fargo Wolf (Oct 23, 2009)

Ingenioren said:


> It's not even paved all the way...


If this is the "ring road" around the island, then yes, it's now entirely paved and has been for a few years from what I understand. So unless there's road construction, where the pavement has been removed for some distance, stretches of gravel road would be a surprise to me. The secondary roads on the other hand are pretty well guaranteed to be gravel.


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

Some of the photos remind me of some areas of Ireland


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## Bothar.G (Apr 8, 2011)

^^

Yeah they do look very similar. I can't help but notice the road markings are similar and so is the tarmac (we often dress the tarmac surface with a layer of chippings). It can be more economical when budgets are tight.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

According to this map from Vegagardin shows status of pavement in 2010 - there lacks some paved parts of Þv1 north of Djùpivogur, even if you would chose to use the longer Þv96 trough the fjords, there is a tiny stretch of dirt road unavoidable. However i don't know if this is still the case two years later:


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

Bothar.G said:


> ^^
> 
> Yeah they do look very similar. I can't help but notice the road markings are similar and so is the tarmac (*we often dress the tarmac surface with a layer of chippings)*. It can be more economical when budgets are tight.


:lol:, I used to associate that with Ireland but then I saw (or rather heard) that on a road in the UK


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## Satyricon84 (Feb 3, 2009)

*Mosfellbaer - Pingvellir*, Road N.39


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## Schweden (Jan 5, 2008)

Fargo Wolf said:


> If this is the "ring road" around the island, then yes, it's now entirely paved and has been for a few years from what I understand. So unless there's road construction, where the pavement has been removed for some distance, stretches of gravel road would be a surprise to me. The secondary roads on the other hand are pretty well guaranteed to be gravel.


Nope, some stretches in eastern Iceland are still gravel. Most of it is paved now, anyway.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Blackraven said:


> Interesting figures there, CZ. There were some people who were worried that the capital Reykjavik is becoming too crowded with cars. Hmm.........with the figures you posted, it looks like Iceland doesn't have to worry yet regarding vehicular overpopulation.


Queues in Reykjavik today, this looks crowded to me.


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## kosimodo (Mar 6, 2003)

I am going there next week i will take some pics!


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## kosimodo (Mar 6, 2003)

Well..

Came back after one week driving around in Iceland.. concentrated on routenumber 1. Thats the 'ringroad' 

I made thousend of pic.. 

Here some first highlights...

And yes.. that gravelroad.. is routenumber 1


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

what is the highest altitude of route 1?


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## kosimodo (Mar 6, 2003)

^^ i have no idea.. not that much.. max 650m.. I will have a look on my maps


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## kosimodo (Mar 6, 2003)

Yes there are... I have all of them on low quality (telefon) pics...

I just dont have the time to sort them out yet

rushhour peak was supricingly high on 2x3 lane roads!


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## Blackraven (Jan 19, 2006)

Interesting.

I was just browsing through four different car rental websites that operate at the main airport (Keflavik International Airport)

http://www.budget.is/budgetonline/is-gb/budget.nsf/c/car_hire
http://www.avis.is/avisonline/is-gb/avis.nsf/c/fleet
https://www.hertz.is/rates.html
http://www.holdur.is/en/carbooking?step=2&lang=en&tegund=2

A lot choices really but my main criterion and requirements would be:
-car must be European (since I'm visiting Iceland which is a European country, I'd want to at least patronize European products as much as possible)
-AND NO SUBCOMPACTS (i.e. anything Volkswagen Polo or smaller is out of the question)

Other than that, I'm open to choices:
-I can drive automatic or manual stick shift (since I was trained to do that)
-Oh and cost would not be a concern for me. In short, I have funds to rent anything from a Volkswagen Golf up to a Skoda Octavia........all the way up to an Audi Q7 or a BMW 7 series

With that said, I do have some questions and concerns regarding choosing a rental car in Iceland.

1) What are the general driving conditions and driving environment in Iceland? (my route would mostly be Kelfavik Airport<->Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa in Grindavik <->Reykjavik (capital city).........so yeah mostly route 41 and a bit of route 43)
2) Contrary to what some people are saying here, do I need a 4x4/4WD vehicle? Do I need an off-road type vehicle (i.e. SUV with all-season off-road tires and stuff) or a heavy-duty vehicle?
3) What is the approximate or estimate distances between petrol stations (aka gasoline stations or fuel pump stations) in Iceland in general? How many are there? 
4) Where can I get or purchase GPS Satellite Navigation device for Iceland? (in case my rental car doesn't GPS Satellite Navigation System built into it)

Thanks =)


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## kosimodo (Mar 6, 2003)

just been there

1) The roads are good. Even the gravel ones. Tip: take the 42 from the southcoast to reykjavik instead of the coastal road. 
2) A 4 x4 is for that area not needed. Stay on the road

3) There are enough petrol stations.. If you stay in that area it shouldnt not be a problem.

4) Dunno 

And btw.. 
i rented a 4x4 octivia which was a pleasure to drive.


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

ChrisZwolle said:


> That bridge looks... fragile.


It looks like one lane bridge - in that case bridge is not so "fragile".


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## Bart_LCY (Feb 10, 2006)

Soon we'll be able to see Iceland like StreetView does, but on different platform, called Já 360°. 

Press release

It is in the news 

Map showing what's been photographed so far

Preview of a finished product:

http://ja360.is/


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## Galro (Aug 9, 2010)

^^ Iceland is now viewable on Google streetview too: 

https://maps.google.rs/maps?q=Icela...=UGGOQLm-1eBzr6TPt2Ki3A&cbp=12,106.56,,0,1.39


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Galro said:


> ^^ Iceland is now viewable on Google streetview too:
> 
> https://maps.google.rs/maps?q=Icela...=UGGOQLm-1eBzr6TPt2Ki3A&cbp=12,106.56,,0,1.39


Great. Now I will explore Reykjavik.

Today a foreign driver was accused of driving at 134 km /h on the Sudurlandsvegur Highway according to the police in Hvolsvelli. The man did not listen after his first fine, but he kept driving further. The driver continued east and was again stopped by the police on the Sudurlandsvegur Highway, now in the lava fields. He then drove at 143 km /h and was charged of speeding again.
The man is guilty and he has to pay 160.000ISK/969EUR fine


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## Blackraven (Jan 19, 2006)

NordikNerd said:


> Great. Now I will explore Reykjavik.
> 
> Today a foreign driver was accused of driving at 134 km /h on the Sudurlandsvegur Highway according to the police in Hvolsvelli. The man did not listen after his first fine, but he kept driving further. The driver continued east and was again stopped by the police on the Sudurlandsvegur Highway, now in the lava fields. He then drove at 143 km /h and was charged of speeding again.
> The man is guilty and he has to pay 160.000ISK/969EUR fine


Hmm.......what's the maximum speed limit in Iceland? 90 km/h?

If so, I think 90 km/h is slow.........though of course it depends on the quality of the road surface and the road conditions and other factors.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Blackraven said:


> Hmm.......what's the maximum speed limit in Iceland? 90 km/h?
> 
> If so, I think 90 km/h is slow.........though of course it depends on the quality of the road surface and the road conditions and other factors.


Right now I'm exploring Reykjavik on google earth and I see they have very modern high standard of roads, wide 4-lane motorway looking ones with sparse traffic. No doubt that foreign driver put the pedal to the metal. Strange that the speed limits are as low as 90km/h.


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## Blackraven (Jan 19, 2006)

NordikNerd said:


> Right now I'm exploring Reykjavik on google earth and I see they have very modern high standard of roads, wide 4-lane motorway looking ones with sparse traffic. No doubt that foreign driver put the pedal to the metal. Strange that the speed limits are as low as 90km/h.


Agreed.

I mean, it's fine if there's ice-and-snow or if it's raining or if the roads there are full of potholes and stuff........then the speed limit may be justifiable in those situations.

But to implement something like that on wide open road on dry conditions and that your the only car that is on that road.........well I think that's counterproductive.

With that said:
I suggest that Iceland road authorities should read upon on studies and academic papers stating on how an absurdly low speed limit can actually cause drowsiness and driver inattention that causes accidents and fatalities...


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## hjf (Mar 1, 2013)

Blackraven said:


> Agreed.
> 
> [...]
> 
> ...


Objection, your honor.

Having driven in Iceland some 3000 km in summertime, I can tell you, that the speed limit is just fine. Although there are (short) stretches that would allow for higher limits, the roads are designed to fit both the traffic and budget volume of Iceland. Apart from the wheather (wind, rain and sometimes snow even in august) there are turns, one lane bridges and other stuff that require constant attention. Some parts of main road network itself are one lane only (eg 61 from Isafjördur to Holmavik), and I am not speaking about a gravel road section. This is perfectly fine since AADT is as low as ~200 vehicles/24h on these sections. 

btw, in my eyes the icelandic authorities are doing a brilliant job in educating everyone about driving in Iceland:

http://www.us.is/kennslumyndband/mpeg/How_to_drive_in_Iceland.mpg



Mind you, this is a brilliant place to go to. Not least for the experience of driving. And this is from a German for whom 200 km/h is a most comfortable speed.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

I guess you mean the airport road as the only non-urban expressway. It looks like a motorway, but doesn't have restrictions on slower vehicles or even pedestrians.


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## italystf (Aug 2, 2011)

NordikNerd said:


> Right now I'm exploring Reykjavik on google earth and I see they have very modern high standard of roads, wide 4-lane motorway looking ones with sparse traffic. No doubt that foreign driver put the pedal to the metal. Strange that the speed limits are as low as 90km/h.


I did that too but I saw that many divided roads around Reykjavik cannot ba classificated as motorways at all because they have roundabouts and traffic lights.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

italystf said:


> I did that too but I saw that many divided roads around Reykjavik cannot ba classificated as motorways at all because they have roundabouts and traffic lights.


The red lines on this map show the stretches of road that resemble urban expressways in Reykjavík, meaning a median and grade separation.


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## Surel (May 5, 2010)

Metrostav and Sudurverk began tunneling the Nordfjordur tunnel on Iceland. It will become the longest Icelandic tunnel with almost 8 kms. Metrostav already built two tunnels on Iceland. The tunneling is done with Drill&Blast method. The work should be finished in 2017.



















http://ekonomika.idnes.cz/metrostav...-/ekoakcie.aspx?c=A131217_114925_ekoakcie_spi


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Surel said:


> The tunneling is done with Drill&Blast method.


Norway does that too, apparently it's a very cost-effective method. According to Vegagerdin the project + construction cost is only € 75 million.

Website: http://www.vegagerdin.is/verkefnavefir/Nordfjardargong.nsf


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## Surel (May 5, 2010)

ChrisZwolle said:


> Norway does that too, apparently it's a very cost-effective method. According to Vegagerdin the project + construction cost is only € 75 million.
> 
> Website: http://www.vegagerdin.is/verkefnavefir/Nordfjardargong.nsf


Yeah, it is the cheapest method. Unfortunately, its possible to do it in only a good geomorphology. You need good old hard rock, something that is abundant in both Iceland and Norway.

Those tunnels often don't even need any paneling.


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## -Pino- (Aug 12, 2007)

Can anyone tell the real story behind this delay of road constructions? Surely there must be more going on that this elves story, right?



http://bigstory.ap.org/article/icelands-hidden-elves-delay-road-projects said:


> Elf advocates have joined forces with environmentalists to urge the Icelandic Road and Coastal Commission and local authorities to abandon a highway project building a direct route from the Alftanes peninsula, where the president has a home, to the Reykjavik suburb of Gardabaer. They fear disturbing elf habitat and claim the area is particularly important because it contains an elf church.
> 
> The project has been halted until the Supreme Court of Iceland rules on a case brought by a group known as Friends of Lava, who cite both the environmental and the cultural impact — including the impact on elves — of the road project. The group has regularly brought hundreds of people out to block the bulldozers.


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## Bart_LCY (Feb 10, 2006)

^^

It is going through a lava field, which is considered as area of outstanding beauty by some. I don't know what is the legal status of it though, if it is a protected area or any kind of nature reserve. What I don't get is why they just can't expand existing road?

Here is project's website and map:

http://www.vegagerdin.is/Verkefnavefir/AlftanesvHfjBessast.nsf


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## normie999 (Sep 16, 2010)

I'm not a local nor an expert (therefore response from Icelanders most welcome!), but I gather the rationale behind this was the construction of a new residential area that was cancelled after the 2008 crash. 

Some say that there is a political motive behind the continuing construction of what is now a project surplus to requirements because the land involved is owned by leading families associated with Iceland's governing parties, and will make a fast buck through its sale. The local authorities are using the employment card to justify the construction going ahead.

This is the first time I've actually seen a map of the plan, and it really does look pretty insupportable to me. The road would lead to the headland where the President's house is located plus a small community with fewer than 3,000 souls. A more useful development in my opinion would be the improvement of the crossroads at the southwest end of the proposed road, which is still traffic light-controlled and pretty clunky to use.


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## mcarling (Nov 1, 2008)

Bart_LCY said:


> For sake of selling it - why not? But better not for using it. They don't need more pollution, especially Reykjavik. With cheap electricity they will be the first country to convert to electric vehicles only. At least that's the plan...


It's a good plan, but the Falkland Islands (not yet a fully independent country) might be first.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

How will they do that? I tought Icelanders love to drive monstertruck on Vatnajökull and such - the geography and remoteness doesn't really favour EVs, no?


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## mcarling (Nov 1, 2008)

Ingenioren said:


> How will they do that? ... the geography and remoteness doesn't really favour EVs, no?


I suspect most drivers very rarely if ever leave the populated southwest area.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

Yeah, few people commute to work on those heavily modded SUVs. EV range isn't a practical problem for most people. I guess some might feel a loss of "freedom" if they can't drive their vehicle to the other side of the country in a single charge, even if few people ever do this.


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## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

On a map, Oxnadalsheidhi pass is not the only way to drive that route. Is the coast route not passable?

I always forget that Iceland has a "second" town, Akureyri, beyond the Reykjavik/Keflavik "metropolis". That it's tenuously connected to the rest of the island is interesting. It must be incredibly isolating to live there. Yet it looks like a very nice town.


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## mcarling (Nov 1, 2008)

^^
Akureyri to Reykjavik is (according to Google) 376 kilometers. Tesla models have, conservatively, about 400 to 500 kilometer range on a single charge.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

zaphod said:


> On a map, Oxnadalsheidhi pass is not the only way to drive that route. Is the coast route not passable?
> 
> I always forget that Iceland has a "second" town, Akureyri, beyond the Reykjavik/Keflavik "metropolis". That it's tenuously connected to the rest of the island is interesting. It must be incredibly isolating to live there. Yet it looks like a very nice town.


You can use the coastal route as well. It's only been three or four years since it opened when the tunnels between Siglufjörður and Ólafsfjörður were finished. It isn't useful as a back-up to Öxnadalsheiði though because any severe winter storm that closes the road over Öxnadalsheiði will also close the coastal route. The coastal road clings to steep mountainsides that are prone to avalanches when it snows.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

*A Busy Reykjavik street*. They seem to have very effective closely spaced street lighting here, maybe because its very dark here at night.

The no turn left sign has the same design as in Sweden.











Outside Reykjavik on the icelandic countryside, driving is demanding, usually a 4 wheel drive jeep is required.


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## bigic (Aug 29, 2014)

Is this on a road between Reykjavik and one of the other Icelandic "major" towns?


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## italystf (Aug 2, 2011)

I though that you could drive around the entire island with a regular passenger car, and SUVs are necessary only to explore the unhabitated intrior.


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## čarli1 (Feb 4, 2013)

italystf said:


> I though that you could drive around the entire island with a regular passenger car, and SUVs are necessary only to explore the unhabitated intrior.


As I know u can drive with regular passanger car around the whole island and SUVs (with modiefed big tires) is needed only to explore "unhabitated" intrior*.

*The fact is that Iceland is very unhabitated everywhere except around Reykjavik, so word unhabitated is not so convenient for this country


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

italystf said:


> I though that you could drive around the entire island with a regular passenger car, and SUVs are necessary only to explore the unhabitated intrior.


The ring road is reportedly driveable with a passenger car, but some parts are gravel, so you want a larger car for comfort.


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## hjf (Mar 1, 2013)

italystf said:


> I though that you could drive around the entire island with a regular passenger car, and SUVs are necessary only to explore the unhabitated intrior.


That is correct. Iceland has some 5000 km paved roads in excellent condition. No need for a 4x4 on major gravel roads as well. 

More details can be found on http://www.vegagerdin.is/vegakerfid/slitlog/

hjf


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## whatsuplucas (Jun 10, 2013)

It is, however, highly recommended to drive a 4x4 car, because you never know what surprises you may find in Iceland.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

whatsuplucas said:


> It is, however, highly recommended to drive a 4x4 car, because you never know what surprises you may find in Iceland.


Iceland’s interior routes, plus some shorter gravel tracks off the Ringroad, can be really rough, even if not requiring four-wheel-drive. Four-wheel-drive-only roads – on which you may encounter stretches of sand, boulders, ice or river crossings – are designated with an “F” on road maps (for instance, the Sprengisandur route is F26), and it’s illegal to drive conventional vehicles along them.












If you stick to the Reykjavik area, I think an ordinary car will do.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Hopefully they find oil in Iceland so they can build tunnels like the Norwegians, all around


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## mcarling (Nov 1, 2008)

Suburbanist said:


> Hopefully they find oil in Iceland so they can build tunnels like the Norwegians, all around


I don't suspect that the AADT outside the Reykjavik area justifies boring many tunnels.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Norway has many tunnels that carry less than 1,000 vehicles per day. 

I don't know where tunnels in Iceland may be needed though. Many tunnels in Norway are built as a protection from avalanches. 

Iceland has a long undersea tunnel, the 5.770 meter long Hvalfjörður Tunnel which opened in 1998.


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

^^ Which is here: https://maps.google.ch/maps?q=Reykj...7294&oq=Rey&t=m&hnear=Reykjavík,+Islanda&z=12

Another couple of long tunnels: https://maps.google.ch/maps?q=Reykj...7294&oq=Rey&t=m&hnear=Reykjavík,+Islanda&z=15

Finally, there is this Y-shaped tunnel: https://maps.google.ch/maps?q=Reykj...7294&oq=Rey&t=m&hnear=Reykjavík,+Islanda&z=15


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## whatsuplucas (Jun 10, 2013)

ChrisZwolle said:


> I don't know where tunnels in Iceland may be needed though. Many tunnels in Norway are built as a protection from avalanches.


Northern Iceland, perhaps? The area around Akureyri is quite mountainous and snow is a big problem during winter.


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## italystf (Aug 2, 2011)

whatsuplucas said:


> It is, however, highly recommended to drive a 4x4 car, because you never know what surprises you may find in Iceland.


Probably anywhere the Google car went, any car can go (at least in summer, of course)


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

NordikNerd said:


> Iceland’s interior routes, plus some shorter gravel tracks off the Ringroad, can be really rough, even if not requiring four-wheel-drive. Four-wheel-drive-only roads – on which you may encounter stretches of sand, boulders, ice or river crossings – are designated with an “F” on road maps (for instance, the Sprengisandur route is F26), and it’s illegal to drive conventional vehicles along them.
> 
> If you stick to the Reykjavik area, I think an ordinary car will do.


It isn't illegal to drive conventional vehicles on F roads. The roads vary in quality and some of them can be passable in regular car. I have taken my own piece of shit sedan across some of the easier mountain roads. If you rent a non 4x4 car in Iceland, there will however be a large sticker in a prominent place in the vehicle to remind you that you are forbidden by the terms of the rental agreement to drive on F roads and doing so will void all insurance and make the driver personally liable for any damage done to the vehicle.

Even if you have a 4x4 vehicle, there is no insurance that covers damage done when crossing unbridged rivers


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## italystf (Aug 2, 2011)

I've read that most rental car companies in Alaska forbid customers to take their vehicles up to the Dalton Highway and allow them only in the most "civilized" areas of the state (i.e. south of Fairbansk, where paved roads exist).
In Australia many rental companies allow daytime-only driving on outback roads, since collisions with kangaroos or other big animals are more likely to happen at night.


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## whatsuplucas (Jun 10, 2013)

Bjarki said:


> Even if you have a 4x4 vehicle, there is no insurance that covers damage done when crossing unbridged rivers


"Crossing unbridged rivers" is something that sounds so surreal to me... :nuts:


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Bjarki said:


> Even if you have a 4x4 vehicle, there is no insurance that covers damage done when crossing unbridged rivers


Are there marked roads on maps that crosses rivers and there are no bridges ?


Its expensive to rent a car in countries with expensive insurance costs due to high risk of damage to the vehicle. Iceland has dangerous roads, bad weather and active volcanos.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

NordikNerd said:


> Are there marked roads on maps that crosses rivers and there are no bridges ?
> 
> 
> Its expensive to rent a car in countries with expensive insurance costs due to high risk of damage to the vehicle. Iceland has dangerous roads, bad weather and active volcanos.


Yeah some F-roads do cross rivers on fords. Fords are marked with a small v on maps as I remember.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Bjarki said:


> Even if you have a 4x4 vehicle, there is no insurance that covers damage done when crossing unbridged rivers












Does your car insurance not cover all types of road assitance in Iceland ?


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## devo (Jun 24, 2011)

I guess that sign just said so.

Anyway, Ófært is now my new favourite word.


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## Warsaw spectator (Nov 14, 2008)

devo said:


> I guess that sign just said so.
> 
> Anyway, Ófært is now my new favourite word.


posibly it means off-road, I guess..


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

*The Whale Bay tunnel is closed tonight.*










The whalefjord tunnel is closed tonight. Meaning a trip from Reykjavik to Akranes will be 90km longer and take an extra 1 hour of driving. 

Those who are on the move over the weekend will have to drive around the Whale bay due to the closure of the Hvalfjörður tunnel tonight.

The tunnel will be closed from 20 o'clock in the evening to 6AM in the morning of Monday October 20th .

This is the longest continuous shutdown of the tunnel since it was built. This is the first time there is a renovation of the pavement of the tunnel road since it was opened in July of 1998.

A passage for emergency vehicles will be kept open during the roadworks in the tunnel.


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## Corvinus (Dec 8, 2010)

NordikNerd said:


>


I'd like to see some figures for "substantial expenses". Has anybody here actually had the experience ...?


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Corvinus said:


> I'd like to see some figures for "substantial expenses". Has anybody here actually had the experience ...?


Meaning the cost of paying a tow truck to drive 150km into the icelandic outback 
and pick up your vehicle, when your insurance is not valid. 
My guess 10-20k EUR.









A truck drove off the road at Hellisheiði, 30km SE of Reykjavik









Now Winter has arrived in Iceland, resulting in difficult road conditions in the northern region. 
Ice and snowstorms on road 76 Siglufjörður - Ólafsfjörður


















Snowy Reykjavik streets


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

NordikNerd said:


> Does your car insurance not cover all types of road assitance in Iceland ?


I did not know much about that so I looked it up and it seems that there is road assistance is not covered by all insurance companies and when it is, it is rather limited in scope and covers only the biggest towns and nearby roads.


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

Road assistance isn't covered by your car insurance company everywhere, it isn't here either.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Snow and ice in the Reykjavik area this morning resulted in delays for many commuters. The situation was especially bad in Kópavogur, due to an 
error snow removal didnt begin there until eight o'clock in the morning.

The city of *Kópavogur* received numerous calls and inquiries. Residents requested salting, pointing out the slippery streets in the city. These were either suggestions, questions or complaints. 

The local authorities did not consider that the city is liable for potential damage to vehicles on icy roads this morning.

Kópavogur authorities earlier today stated that the procedures for snow removal on the streets and salting in the community will now be reviewed.

It seems like both motorists and authorities are ill prepared for the annual snow. It always comes as a surprise.


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## devo (Jun 24, 2011)

Warsaw spectator said:


> posibly it means off-road, I guess..


It actually means impassable in this context, just as the english translation.

Also, driving past this sign probably involves driving completely off road. So any degree of _road insurance_ wouldn't make any difference. You're _off road._ Iceland or Sahara, the same rules (or lack of coverage) applies.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Yesterday it was not recommended to drive in some parts of Iceland, due to a very strong wind, it was 37 m/s 
(34–40m/s =	Fresh gale) The Öresund bridge closes at 34 m/s










Ringroad 1 at Selfoss / Ingólfsfjall


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## verreme (May 16, 2012)

^^ God, is that guy driving with not even the low beams on?


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

devo said:


> It actually means impassable in this context, just as the english translation.
> 
> Also, driving past this sign probably involves driving completely off road. So any degree of _road insurance_ wouldn't make any difference. You're _off road._ Iceland or Sahara, the same rules (or lack of coverage) applies.


It's a sign that is put up in the autumn where you enter F-roads to make clear to travellers that F-roads are not serviced in any way during winter and can be assumed to be impassable.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Overall the roads of Iceland are not very well maintained during the wintertime. This is probably due to the sparse traffic. 
The roads are divided in to 3 categories of maintenance level.

*1) *Every effort is made to keep road surfaces free 
of ice and snow on a 24-hour basis. 

*2)* In icy conditions, skid protection is normally only 
provided on road sections where driving may 
be dangerous. 

*3) *In icy conditions the general rule is to provide skid protection only in very 
dangerous spots. 

Only the Reykjavik area roads are category 1, meaning that all driving elsewhere in Iceland during the wintertime is difficult.


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## Surel (May 5, 2010)

ChrisZwolle said:


> I don't know where tunnels in Iceland may be needed though. Many tunnels in Norway are built as a protection from avalanches.
> 
> Iceland has a long undersea tunnel, the 5.770 meter long Hvalfjörður Tunnel which opened in 1998.


Metrostav and Sudurverk consorcium digs the longest tunnel on Iceland (7 908 m).

http://metrostav.cz/en/references/project_at_work?id=859
Construction of the Norðfjörður Road Tunnel Iceland

Investor: Vegagerðin, Reyjkjavík, Iceland
Designer: Mannvit Engineering, Reyjkjavík, Iceland
Construction Terms: 08.2013/09.2017
Price: 1 630.0 mil. CZK (some € 60 mil), the technology excluded.


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## Coccodrillo (Sep 30, 2005)

^^ It will link this town with the rest of the world: https://maps.google.ch/maps?q=Norðf....617294&hnear=Neskaupstadur,+Islanda&t=m&z=12

Another tunnel is under construction near Akureyri.

http://www.tunneltalk.com/Iceland-May11-New-Vadlaheidi-road-tunnel.php
http://www.tunneltalk.com/Iceland-F...nture-selected-for-Vadlaheidi-road-tunnel.php
http://www.tunneltalk.com/Iceland-2...t-bids-Vadlaheidi-start-Dyrafjordur-plans.php
http://www.tunneltalk.com/Iceland-Jul12-Vadlaheidi-road-tunnel-contract-revitalised.php


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

There is always a road tunnel under construction or in a planning/design phase somewhere in the country. After those two currently under construction I expect that the next one will be in the Westfjords region, shown in green on this map:









It has been in the promises of politicians for at least 20 years but they should get to it eventually. Then there is a pressure for a tunnel to the town of Seyðisfjörður in East Iceland. That would be the longest road tunnel* in Iceland at around 10-12 km if it gets built.

* The longest tunnel of any type in Iceland will always be the water tunnels of Kárahnjúkar hydropower station, those have a combined length of 72 kilometers and are the longest such hydropower tunnels in the world.


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## Stainless (Jun 7, 2009)

NordikNerd said:


> The whalefjord tunnel is closed tonight. Meaning a trip from Reykjavik to Akranes will be 90km longer and take an extra 1 hour of driving.
> 
> Those who are on the move over the weekend will have to drive around the Whale bay due to the closure of the Hvalfjörður tunnel tonight.
> 
> ...


That is just my luck. I arrived in Iceland on the 19th. Plan was to drive from Keflavik to Akranes stopping in Reykjavik on the way. We had to drive the whole detour in pouring rain in darkness. I didn't realise that this was the first closure ever. We took it back a few days later and it was a nice drive through.

Otherwise driving in Iceland was great, it was very windy the next day, snowing in the West region but improved for the next week. We had a Kia Rio rental, it was probably to most boring thing I have ever been inside of. It was fine on most roads but did struggle on gravel due to poor ground clearance. We did reach the start of an F-Road, but the gravel road up to it was bad enough. I will post some pictures eventually.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Iceland has no motorways, but expressways. More urban road crossings around Reykjavik are rebuilt with viaducts, which have increased traffic safety substantailly .

According to an observation by the icelandic road administration, the construction of viaducts has reduced the number of accidents by 46-67% 

Several crosssings were recently built in the Reykjavik area. The intersection between the Sudurlandsvegur and the Vesturlandsvegur was built in 2006, and the intersection at the Reykjanesbraut and Arnarnes road opened in 2008.

In the junction between the Reykjanesbraut and Vífilsstaðavegar an unusually high number of accidents occurred in 2013, but after the opening of the viaduct accidents decreased about 67%


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## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

In time enough of those segments with overpasses will connect together and form what will effectively be a motorway, if that hasn't happened already.

Anyways, off topic, but how do I pronounce the character "ð"? I get that the other unusual icelandic character, the "thorn" makes a "th" sound. But what I've read about the "eth" in its upper and lower case forms doesn't make sense, is it basically the same?


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

They are the same


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

The weather is causing difficulties to icelandic drivers. Wintertime driving on Highland roads is in principle not prohibited but the driving is the driver's responsibility. It is important not to take unnecessary risks and keep in mind that in many places in the countryside the telephone contact is limited. Now, however, driving is banned on certain roads because of volcanic eruptions and it's likely to be prohibited to drive on Highland roads in spring when frost is leaving the ground, to prevent damage to roads and nature, according to a recent release from the Road Administration. 









The area with black stripes is close for traffic.


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## Blackraven (Jan 19, 2006)

Winter + ice/snow + volacanic eruptions as well?

Wow that some very constrasting extreme weather and climate over there in Iceland (it's like polar opposites of Mother Nature)


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Blackraven said:


> Winter + ice/snow + volacanic eruptions as well?
> 
> Wow that some very constrasting extreme weather and climate over there in Iceland (it's like polar opposites of Mother Nature)


Yes, swedish winter weather seems like a breeze compared to the icelandic road conditions right now.



























Lousy weather at Öxnadalsheiði

At the Öxnadalsheiði there is poor visibility, especially for elderly drivers with night blindness it's important to take care. It's very windy more or less all day, especially at Staðarsveit. 

Otherwise, it´s windy everywhere in the northwest of the country and limited visibility on mountain roads, slush on the roads in the lowlands. 

In the South, the roads are passable, but there are icy storms in the Hafnarfjall mountains.

In the west the roads are mostly passable in the lowlands. 

There is an impassable snowstorm at Steingrímsfjarðarheiði.

On the north-west coast, the roads are mostly passable in the lowlands but there are storms in Húnavatnssýsla and Skagafirði.

On the northeast there is black ice on mountain roads and some hail showers.

Roads in the eastern part of Iceland are navigable for the most though, spots of ice on mountain roads. Good road conditions on the southeast coast.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Blackraven said:


> Interesting figures there, CZ. There were some people who were worried that the capital Reykjavik is becoming too crowded with cars. Hmm.........with the figures you posted, it looks like Iceland doesn't have to worry yet regarding vehicular overpopulation.


Think again !










*Stau auf der Autobahn ? No it's a Reykjavik expressway.*


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

That photo was probably taken at Miklabraut, there is a traffic light behind the photographer.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

ChrisZwolle said:


> That photo was probably taken at Miklabraut, there is a traffic light behind the photographer.



Miklabraut is the widest road in Iceland. In this shot and for a short stretch it is a 6 lane highway. It that connects the suburbs and the countryside to downtown Reykjavík. 


This expressway is not always busy.


















Possibly the busiest road on Iceland, Otherwise it wouldnt have 6 lanes. If I have read right the ADT is about 70.000 to 100.000.

http://www.tft.lth.se/fileadmin/tft/dok/publ/5000/Thesis139scrHB.pdf


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## hjf (Mar 1, 2013)

NordikNerd said:


> Miklabraut is the widest road in Iceland. In this shot and for a short stretch it is a 6 lane highway. It that connects the suburbs and the countryside to downtown Reykjavík.
> 
> ....
> 
> Possibly the busiest road on Iceland, Otherwise it wouldnt have 6 lanes. If I have read right the ADT is about 70.000 to 100.000.


In fact, the highest ADT of any road in Iceland according to Vegagerdin (the icelandic road administration) is just over 70 000 on road 49.

http://www.vegagerdin.is/media/upplysingar-og-utgafa/Banki_utgefinn_2013_a_netid.pdf


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

hjf said:


> In fact, the highest ADT of any road in Iceland according to Vegagerdin (the icelandic road administration) is just over 70 000 on road 49.
> 
> http://www.vegagerdin.is/media/upplysingar-og-utgafa/Banki_utgefinn_2013_a_netid.pdf











According to this report the ADT is 100.000 at the crossing Miklabraut/Reykjanesbraut. This was in 1997 so probably the traffic flow has increased.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

NordikNerd said:


> Think again !
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Morning rush hour. Everybody going west and nobody going east. Seems like poor use of space.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

zaphod said:


> In time enough of those segments with overpasses will connect together and form what will effectively be a motorway, if that hasn't happened already.
> 
> Anyways, off topic, but how do I pronounce the character "ð"? I get that the other unusual icelandic character, the "thorn" makes a "th" sound. But what I've read about the "eth" in its upper and lower case forms doesn't make sense, is it basically the same?


Þ is like "th" in thing or thought but Ð like "th" in the or them. Upper or lower case makes no difference but upper case Ð is rarely used because there is not a single Icelandic word that starts with Ð.

There is already a pretty long stretch of Reykjanesbraut in the city that is practically a freeway. Grade separated with intersections at 1-2 km interval. The regional plan that Reykjavík and the surrounding towns are working on suggests that there should be a single corridor through the urban area where the focus is on free flow of automobile traffic. That corridor would connect the three main roads connecting the city with other parts of the country and would probably follow Reykjanesbraut but the exact layout has not been agreed on yet. If such a corridor is completed, you could drive on a grade separated highway from the airport all the to the city and through it without stopping at traffic lights. 

I made a little map of the situation:








Red lines are the current segments of road where there is full grade separation. The narrower red lines are grade separated but have yet to be widened to separate the directions of traffic with a median.

The blue line is the most probable layout of a main motorway-like corridor through the city but the blue dashed lines are some possible variations.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

Bjarki said:


> Þ is like "th" in thing or thought but Ð like "th" in the or them. Upper or lower case makes no difference but upper case Ð is rarely used because there is not a single Icelandic word that starts with Ð.


Unless you write with all caps. I still remember my first cell phone (Benefon iO), which had Icelandic as well. I remember words "RAFHLAĐA" and "SKILABOĐ" (I read them with the Serbo-Croatian "Đ" :lol. IIRC, they mean "battery" and "messages", respectively.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

I wonder why the Eastern coast of Iceland, which is glacier- and volcano-free, never developed a major secondary city.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Suburbanist said:


> I wonder why the Eastern coast of Iceland, which is glacier- and volcano-free, never developed a major secondary city.


Actually the city Egilstadir is considered to be the capital of eastern Iceland, with an airport and a hospital. It's a junction where many major roads meet. The harbour of Seydisfjordur is only a short ride away.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

2+1 road in Iceland, facilitating overtaking of slow vehicles like trucks.
For some reason there is a barrier on the right side, but not on the left side, where there only are sticks.


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

Reason is steep and deep embankment on the right.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

keber said:


> Reason is steep and deep embankment on the right.


It looks pretty much the same on the other side, but they have no barrier there. Seems like the icelandic road administration
is on a tight budget.


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## RV (Oct 23, 2007)

It looks like that road should be widened to 2+2; where is that exactly?


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## bigic (Aug 29, 2014)

Reykjavik area? Because outside of southwestern Iceland there is no need for anything more than 1+1.


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## Calvin W (Nov 5, 2005)

RV said:


> It looks like that road should be widened to 2+2; where is that exactly?


Much steeper on the side with the barrier. Look closely and you can see the difference.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

Looks to be somewhere between Selfoss and Reykjavik.


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## RV (Oct 23, 2007)

Anyways, looks like 2+2 would be necessary.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

NordikNerd said:


> 2+1 road in Iceland, facilitating overtaking of slow vehicles like trucks.
> For some reason there is a barrier on the right side, but not on the left side, where there only are sticks.


It's somewhere on the road between Reykjavík and Hveragerði, probably around here.

These are climbing lanes in steep slope. There is no central barrier yet but the plan is to have a central barrier all the way from Reykjavík to Selfoss in either a 2+1 or to 2+2 configuration.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

Looks to be relative forgiving terrain, if you like to see a better example of Icelandic lack of guardrail check this Road 939, is a shortcut on the ringroad - saves you 60 km driving and it features some huge drops without any guardrail.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Ingenioren said:


> Looks to be relative forgiving terrain, if you like to see a better example of Icelandic lack of guardrail check this Road 939, is a shortcut on the ringroad - saves you 60 km driving and it features some huge drops without any guardrail.


Yes. The ringroad No 1 is also a gravelroad in this area of Iceland, probably about the same standard as the road 939, so in the summer it is the better choise unless it's one of those outback roads where there is no supervision, no regular maintennnance or any sign of life what so ever and that your insurance is not valid. I watched your video and I wonder if trucks are allowed to drive on that road.











Nowadays it seems like the paving of roads in Iceland has become less frequent. The paving of rural roads today is on the same level as in 1979.

Small spots have been paved here and there throughout the country, the longest ones in the Westfjords, where the transport need is increasing.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

NordikNerd said:


> The ringroad No 1 is also a gravelroad in this area of Iceland


I thought it was entirely paved.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

Verso said:


> I thought it was entirely paved.


There is a segment of the Ring Road that's about 40 km long in the southeast that has not been paved. But there is only a very short stretch of road that needs to be paved so it becomes possible to drive around the country on paved road, but not on the proper Ring Road (Road 1).


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

I grabbed two maps to show the gravel gap. The top map shows paved roads at the end of 2013 and the bottom map shows the roads in the same area and displays the ring road in dark blue but other primary roads in red.

















The ring road takes a more inland route where there are still segments left unpaved but the coastal roads have been paved almost the whole way.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^^ Are there plans to pave at least that short stretch?


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

Verso said:


> ^^ Are there plans to pave at least that short stretch?


There have been such plans, usually in connection with building a whole-year route over Öxi. That is one of the plans that got postponed after the banking crisis in 2008..


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## Nikkodemo (Aug 23, 2006)

*Some pics:*


Untitled by bjornvald, on Flickr


Untitled by bjornvald, on Flickr


Untitled by bjornvald, on Flickr


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## Nikkodemo (Aug 23, 2006)

*More pics:*


Untitled by bjornvald, on Flickr


Untitled by bjornvald, on Flickr


Untitled by bjornvald, on Flickr


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## Nikkodemo (Aug 23, 2006)

*More pics:*


Untitled by bjornvald, on Flickr


Untitled by bjornvald, on Flickr


Untitled by bjornvald, on Flickr


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## Nikkodemo (Aug 23, 2006)

*Bonus:*


ice road by OR_U, on Flickr


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## whatsuplucas (Jun 10, 2013)

I did it! I finally had the pleasure of visiting Iceland last January and this is a picture I took of our car before the Route 417 became undriveable and we had to turn back.










It is an astonishingly beautiful country and the emptiness of the roads is somewhat exquisite (and I didn't even leave the capital area!).


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## RV (Oct 23, 2007)

I would like to see much more of the "car-city" of Reykjavik - the thread is full of glaciar-roads, but misses a lot of Reykjavik's 3+3/4+4-lane highways.

Well in fact it doesn't come as a surprise to me that Reykjavik is car-friendly, since it is located actually in America


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

whatsuplucas said:


> I did it! I finally had the pleasure of visiting Iceland last January and this is a picture I took of our car before the Route 417 became undriveable and we had to turn back.


I assume that it must be quite a culture shock to come from São Paulo to Reykjavik. Was driving in Reykjavik a challenge to you ? 





RV said:


> I would like to see much more of the "car-city" of Reykjavik - the thread is full of glaciar-roads, but misses a lot of Reykjavik's 3+3/4+4-lane highways.


I'm also a fan of Reykjavik and Iceland and I found some photos of Reykjavik traffic.








*Reykjavik-A car centric city*








Everything on this photo reminds me of Denmark. Flat landscape, bushes, windy weather and a yellow bus. 
Roadsigns are also similar to the ones in Denmark.









For some reason traffic in Reykjavik usually seems to go in one direction.









Plenty of space on the Reykjanesbraut. What happend to the roadbarrier ?


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## whatsuplucas (Jun 10, 2013)

NordikNerd said:


> I assume that it must be quite a culture shock to come from São Paulo to Reykjavik. Was driving in Reykjavik a challenge to you ?


Oh, most definitely a culture shock. But a culture shock I already expected and wanted to experience! I didn't feel like driving, especially because I was with four Canadians who are very used to driving on icy conditions.


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## devo (Jun 24, 2011)

NordikNerd said:


> (...)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It's to avoid it acting like a ramp. Note that it's straight on the other side.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

*Hvalfjarðargöng*










This is the tunnel crossing of the Hvalfjordur (Whale Bay) The length is 5,7km and the depth 165 m. '
There is a post to prevent high vehicles from passing through, I dont think larger trucks can go here.

The Hvalfjarðargöng is an impressive piece of infrastructure in a sparsely populated country. 
In comparison is the distance between the Öresund cities Helsingborg & Helsingör about the same 4,6 km and the depth is only 35m, still no tunnel is built.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

NordikNerd said:


> This is the tunnel crossing of the Hvalfjordur (Whale Bay) The length is 5,7km and the depth 165 m. '
> There is a post to prevent high vehicles from passing through, I dont think larger trucks can go here.
> 
> The Hvalfjarðargöng is an impressive piece of infrastructure in a sparsely populated country.
> In comparison is the distance between the Öresund cities Helsingborg & Helsingör about the same 4,6 km and the depth is only 35m, still no tunnel is built.


It's also the only road infrastructure in Iceland to be privately funded. The tunnel was opened in 1998 and the cost of construction was meant to be recovered with tolls in 20 years. At that point, in 2018, the tunnel will be handed over to the state.


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## whatsuplucas (Jun 10, 2013)

Bjarki said:


> It's also the only road infrastructure in Iceland to be privately funded. The tunnel was opened in 1998 and the cost of construction was meant to be recovered with tolls in 20 years. At that point, in 2018, the tunnel will be handed over to the state.


Does this mean that that is the only road in Iceland with tolls?


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

whatsuplucas said:


> Does this mean that that is the only road in Iceland with tolls?


Yes. There is a second tunnel under construction near Akureyri in northern Iceland that will have tolls.


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## alexanderlyd (Oct 17, 2014)

*Selfoss bypass and dual carriageway*

I understand that there are plans to extend the dual carriageway past Hveragerði, and all the way to Selfoss, and then create a bypass with a new bridge over Ölfusá. What is the status of these plans? Are they confirmed have they abandoned it? The route going through Selfoss is a huge bottleneck and can cause huge queues.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

alexanderlyd said:


> I understand that there are plans to extend the dual carriageway past Hveragerði, and all the way to Selfoss, and then create a bypass with a new bridge over Ölfusá. What is the status of these plans? Are they confirmed have they abandoned it? The route going through Selfoss is a huge bottleneck and can cause huge queues.


The plan now is a 2+1 road between Hveragerði and Selfoss but the new Ölfusá bridge is not on the agenda for the next four years at least.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

*New road project in Reykjavik*

*Reykjanesbraut - Fífuhvammsvegur*

The work involves laying a new 1.6 km long road from Reykjanesbraut to Fífuhvammsveg. 
Completion is scheduled for October 1, 2016. 









It seems like there are going to be more grade separated motorway-like roads in Reykjavik. 

_Reykjanesbraut is one of the major routes around Reykjavik. It connects the south urban area to the northern and western parts and provides a link between the Keflavik international airport and the whole country. The section upgraded in this project lies in three municipalities. In the future all junctions to Reykjanesbraut between Keflavik and the planned Sundabraut are to be grade separated.

The project entailed converting about 4 km of single 2-lane carriageway into a dual carriageway, complete with junctions and underpasses.
_


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

The Ring Road (Road 1) might be redefined in eastern Iceland according to a suggestion by the minister of the interior. The route has long been cause for dispute amongst the locals. The current layout of the Ring Road takes an inland route over the mountain pass at Breiðdalsheiði. It includes some 25 km of unpaved gravel road. The suggested alternative is the coastal route which is currently part of roads no 92 and 96. It has the advantage of being paved the whole way. It is also mostly near sea level and thus sees far less closures due to weather during winter whereas the current route of the Ring Road is often closed for 4-5 months out of the year. The coastal route is however 10 km longer than the inland route (which is only relevant during summer of course). This should have happened a long time a go. Designating the coastal route as the Ring Road does of course not change the actual road conditions and it makes no difference to the route chosen by the locals for any given trip but it might affect travel patterns of visitors and guide them along a safer and more interesting coastal route.

The following map from an Icelandic newspaper shows the situation. The current layout of the Ring Road is the red line and the blue one is the suggested coastal route:


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

Any plan to upgrade to one called "Öxi", it sure is a good shortcut.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Hopefully Iceland finds oil in the Atlantic sometime, so it can build plenty of tunnels like Norway 

Btw, I was wondering, is Iceland the place where in Europe where most snow accumulates, on average, at low elevation roads and cities? Or might it be Sweden?


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## italystf (Aug 2, 2011)

Suburbanist said:


> Hopefully Iceland finds oil in the Atlantic sometime, so it can build plenty of tunnels like Norway


Hopefully, not. More oil fields are discovered in the world, less incentive will exist to develope renewable and clean sources.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

Ingenioren said:


> Any plan to upgrade to one called "Öxi", it sure is a good shortcut.


Egilsstaðir-Djúpivogur is a 86km drive with the Öxi-road.

Egilsstaðir-Djúpivogur is a 147km drive if you avoid the Öxi-road.

Someone drove the öxi-road on youtube and it's a curvy, hilly narrow gravel road with deep trenches on the sides. I does seem a bit difficult when trucks show up in the opposite direction. I wonder if the road is maintained during the winter when snow falls.

Traffic is sparse, in the video the driver meets a total of 5-6 cars on the 28 min drive 19km öxi-road. Is it worth upgrading a road with such little traffic?

Iceland appears to be a very capitalcentered country. In Reykjavik motorists drive on 3-lanes grade separated expressways, but in the countryside most roads are narrow and many of them are gravelroads.









*Countryside*










*Reykjavik*


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

Ingenioren said:


> Any plan to upgrade to one called "Öxi", it sure is a good shortcut.


It's on the long-term plan but there have been some bitter regional disputes about it. The coastal settlements don't like the idea of upgrading Öxi if it diverts funds from improving the coastal route but people in Egilsstaðir and Djúpivogur would like to see Öxi upgraded as it cuts distances between these places and between Egilsstaðir and Reykjavík more than any other option. The thing about Öxi is however that even if it is upgraded to a paved road it would go more than 500 meters above sea level which would make it very difficult to keep open during winter. But it would make a great summer short cut.


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## webeagle12 (Oct 1, 2007)

italystf said:


> Hopefully, not. More oil fields are discovered in the world, less incentive will exist to develope renewable and clean sources.


You have to excuse him. He spitting out retarded and ass backwards ideas all over these forum.


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## whatsuplucas (Jun 10, 2013)

NordikNerd said:


> Iceland appears to be a very capitalcentered country. In Reykjavik motorists drive on 3-lanes grade separated expressways, but in the countryside most roads are narrow and many of them are gravelroads


It makes total sense when about two thirds of its 323,000 inhabitants reside within the Capital Region.


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## hammersklavier (Jan 29, 2010)

Suburbanist said:


> Hopefully Iceland finds oil in the Atlantic sometime, so it can build plenty of tunnels like Norway
> 
> Btw, I was wondering, is Iceland the place where in Europe where most snow accumulates, on average, at low elevation roads and cities? Or might it be Sweden?


You fail geology forever. Iceland is geologically one of the youngest countries on earth (there's more of it being made every minute!). You need geologically _old_ places to get oil.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

hammersklavier said:


> You fail geology forever. Iceland is geologically one of the youngest countries on earth (there's more of it being made every minute!). You need geologically _old_ places to get oil.


Nobody expects oil _in_ Iceland. There has however been some exploration in the "Dreki Zone" in the ocean to the northeast. It's where there is a piece of old bedrock on the ocean floor that broke off from the continents as Eurasia and North America split apart millions of years ago. There are some indications that there are hydrocarbon resources there, either liquid or gas, but there has been little interest by oil companies to take a better look. It's deep ocean in a remote location so it would be very expensive to develop and probably not worth it unless crude reaches 100 USD per barrel again.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

This is what the unpaved part of route 1 in Berufjörður looks like now. The sudden transition from a paved road to this will sometimes shock inexperienced drivers.


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## Warsaw spectator (Nov 14, 2008)

i've found an interesting video:



> on the 2016 summer solstice, sigur rós unveiled a 24-hour ‘slow tv’ event live on iceland’s national television – and streamed live globally via youtube – set to a constantly evolving soundtrack based around elements of their latest song óveður. ‘route one’ is a 1332km journey the whole way round iceland’s coastal ring road

















:cheers:


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## Ices77 (Nov 15, 2014)

*Nordfjordur tunnel*

Nordfjordur tunnel, with almost 8 km the longest tunnel in Iceland should be opened to traffic this summer.


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## italystf (Aug 2, 2011)

Bjarki said:


> This is what the unpaved part of route 1 in Berufjörður looks like now. The sudden transition from a paved road to this will sometimes shock inexperienced drivers.


Wow, that's really bad. Not something I would expect from an important road in a rich European country.


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

*18 people died in traffic accidents in 2016*

According to an accident report of the Icelandic Transport Authority 18 people have died in traffic accidents in 2016

This many people havent died on the roads in Iceland since 2006 when 31 people died in traffic. Most accidents occurred in Reykjavik.


In the past 2 years there has been a definite turnaround to a positive development in terms of reduction of road accidents in the years ahead.

Over the past ten years (2007-2016) 126 people died in traffic in Iceland. In the 10 years before (1997-2006) 244 died.

Seriously injured increased from 178 to 215 per year and have not been higher since 1999. This is an increase of 21% for each year. 

Compared to the other Nordic countries, Iceland has the highest per capita deaths in traffic.


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## Ices77 (Nov 15, 2014)

^^It´s a bit surprising, as Iceland is the most sparsely populated among Nordic countries. Maybe safety measures in Reykjavik are not up to other capitals in the region.


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## 8166UY (Nov 19, 2011)

Or some people drive like idiots because they expect no-one else on the road.


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## Ices77 (Nov 15, 2014)

Yeah, but also the statistics does not differ between locals and tourists and tourists might be quite a few there. So this course of Iceland Academy might maybe assist.


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

There are some crazy vehicles in Iceland tough, imagine being hit by a glacier-type monster truck as a pedestrian vs. being hit by an opel corsa.


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## LegendMeadow (Nov 2, 2015)

italystf said:


> Hopefully, not. More oil fields are discovered in the world, less incentive will exist to develope renewable and clean sources.


Your comment makes me want to hop in my gas guzzler and take a long ride. :bash: :cheers:


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## Ices77 (Nov 15, 2014)

*New tunnel contract*

In April the contract for another tunnel has been signed, the lenght is 5,6 kilometers, adjacent road sections have 7,8 km, it is called Dyrafjordur and connects the fjords Dýrafjörður and Arnarfjörður. Completition date is September 2020. 

Iceland has total eleven tunnels and another three are under construction with the lenght from 5,6 to 7,9 km.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

*Norðfjarðargöng*

Norðfjarðargöng or the North Fjord Tunnel near Eskifjördur in eastern Iceland will likely open by late October. The tunnel is 7.5 kilometers long.

http://www.austurfrett.is/gongin/nordhfjardhargoeng-ekki-tilbuin-fyrr-en-i-lok-oktober


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## webeagle12 (Oct 1, 2007)

8166UY said:


> Or some people drive like idiots because they expect no-one else on the road.


Totally agree. Been in Iceland last year for 3 weeks and some people drive like pricks. Some people just asking for it


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## Nikkodemo (Aug 23, 2006)

*More scenic roads:*


Route 50 near Hvanneyri, Iceland by Jochen Hertweck, en Flickr


Þingvallavegur, Iceland by Jochen Hertweck, en Flickr


Driving towards Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland by Jochen Hertweck, en Flickr


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

*Norðfjarðargöng*



ChrisZwolle said:


> Norðfjarðargöng or the North Fjord Tunnel near Eskifjördur in eastern Iceland will likely open by late October. The tunnel is 7.5 kilometers long.
> 
> http://www.austurfrett.is/gongin/nordhfjardhargoeng-ekki-tilbuin-fyrr-en-i-lok-oktober
> 
> http://i.imgur.com/yatDh0Y.jpg


The opening of the tunnel is now planned for 11 November 2017: http://www.austurfrett.is/gongin/nordfjardargong-opnud-11-11


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

The North Fjord Tunnel (Icelandic: Norðfjarðargöng) opened to traffic yesterday. It is a 7.5 kilometer long tunnel, part of Route 92, between Eskifjörður and Neskaupstaður in Eastern Iceland. It is the second-longest tunnel in Iceland.

http://www.vegagerdin.is/upplysingar-og-utgafa/frettir/nordfjardargong-verda-opnud-a-laugardaginn

Also, the routing of Route 1 was changed in the same area. Route 1 originally ran from Breiðdalsvík to Egilsstaðir using an inland route via Breiðhaldsheiði. This road is often inaccessible during the winter but tourists often still try to get through there. The Route 1 designation is now running over Route 92/96 along the coast. It is 10 kilometers longer but travel time is similar.

http://www.vegagerdin.is/upplysingar-og-utgafa/frettir/breytt-vegnumer-a-austfjordum


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

How is it with driving a rental car in and around Reykjavik in this time of year? We are considering driving the longest route till Geysir beside road 35. Is it drivable without 4x4 (and no snow storm)?


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## 54°26′S 3°24′E (Oct 26, 2007)

Winter driving ability is mostly about relevant driver skills and good tires, in that order of priority. If you are not used to drive on slippery roads you are probably better off using some tour agency and public transport and skip the rental car.

4WD helps you climbing the hill, but not getting down again. In fact, in Norway, 4WDs are overrepresented in single car accidents, most likely because it is easy to become overconfident. 4WDs tend to have higher clearance though, which might help on rough roads (I have no local knowledge regarding the road you are asking). Reykjavik itself is probably mostly unproblematic, at least the main roads, but you never know at this time of the year and side roads may be slippery even on a nice day.


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## italystf (Aug 2, 2011)

Look at this map before attempting to drive somewhere. As you can see, most inland roads are closed in this season.
http://www.road.is/travel-info/road-conditions-and-weather/entire-iceland-road-conditions-map/


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

The roads to Geysir, thingvellir, gullfoss "Golden circle" is a normal tarmac road, you can use any car.


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## 54°26′S 3°24′E (Oct 26, 2007)

As seen in the map provided by Italystf, the road to Thingvellir is snow - covered, though.


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

That is ok, I'm used to 10 cm of snow with proper winter tires.


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## Bjarki (Sep 18, 2009)

The newest road tunnel to start construction in Iceland is the Dýrafjörður tunnel in the Westfjords region in north-western Iceland. It's a 5.6 kilometre long tunnel that will replace an ancient segment of route 60 that goes through a difficult mountain pass which is not kept open during winter. The same project includes 7.8 kilometres of new road to connect to the existing road network. The tunnel should be open in 2020.









The tunnel is a part of a bigger link to rebuild route 60 so it functions as a year-round route between the northern and southern parts of the Westfjords region. The other part is a rebuild of the road over Dynjandisheiði which is a highland plateau where the road goes over 500 metres above sea level. Tunneling under the plateau would be too expensive so the road on it will be rebuilt. The current "road" hasn't been much improved since its opening in 1959 and is really more of a simple dirt track. The new road (yellow on the map below) will be 35 to 39 km long depending on the chosen route. In addition there is a 29 km long new road (light blue on the map) that connects to the village at Bíldudalur. The new road will still be high above sea level and take a lot of snow during winter but it will be easier to clear and reopen after storms.










There is one dumb flaw about the whole thing though. The tunnel is scheduled to be opened in 2020 but the new road at Dynjandisheiði is currently not estimated to be opened until 2023. This means three years where the fancy new tunnel will be an expensive dead-end for most of winter.


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## snowdog (Mar 27, 2011)

Few pictures from last week when I was in Iceland, mostly the ring road, golden circle roads, and a few side/gravel roads:

































































































Click for large/highres...

Loved driving there, there were places where there was literally no other body or car for 2-3 hour.


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## snowdog (Mar 27, 2011)

And some panorama's (click for full size):


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## snowdog (Mar 27, 2011)

Some phone fragments that are usable for as road film:
0:00

3:00

4:47

5:49

6:05

8:18






All on 12-13 May 2018.

I did take my old dashcam with me but only had a sticker mount, and seeing how I couldn't find an inconspicuous spot on the window (eg. behind mirror so the rental company wouldn't see glue residue) and the car was nearly new, I didn't mount/use it, so only have these mobile phone vids.



Anyhow, I can highly recommend going to Iceland, take at least a crossover 4x4 but even preferably a full sized SUV/off road vehicle. Yes you can see enough and all the touristy things in a normal car, but the best places eg. this:


or:

We had to off-road a bit, or do a bit on very rocky gravel roads and sometimes even then hike a bit.

Otherwise it's completely deserted in some places, especially east of Kalfafell or up the F roads. Especially later in the evening, we avoided many touristy spots during the day and visited late in the evening. While going to deserted places during day. In the south west there are some speed traps but from halfway in the country I couldn't see any, and because you sometimes can't see anyone for hours, you can drive as you please speed wise.


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## pedro molina (Mar 7, 2018)

What an exciting views. I think Iceland is very privileged in that.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

*Vaðlaheiðargöng*

A 7.5 kilometer long tunnel called Vaðlaheiðargöng opened to traffic on 28 December 2018. It is located on Route 1 east of Akureyri, in the north of Iceland. It shortens the route by 16 kilometers. 

It is a toll tunnel with electronic toll collection, the toll rate is 1500 ISK with a tag and 2500 ISK if you don't pay online within 3 hours. The toll rate seems quite steep for what is only a 16 kilometer shorter route (1500 ISK = € 11.20, 2500 ISK = € 18.70).


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## g.spinoza (Jul 21, 2010)

^^ And, above all, aren't 3 hours a little too short time to pay the reduced fee?


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## xzmattzx (Dec 24, 2004)

1500 ISK with a tag, but how much without a tag? Also, what is a tag? A license plate? A transponder?


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

That is an approximate price of one beer in the bar there. A similarly long tunnel between Slovenia and Austria saves almost exact number of kms and costs 2 beers in Austria and 3 in Slovenia. So what is a steep rate can be debatable.


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## hjf (Mar 1, 2013)

ChrisZwolle said:


> A 7.5 kilometer long tunnel called Vaðlaheiðargöng opened to traffic on 28 December 2018. It is located on Route 1 east of Akureyri, in the north of Iceland. It shortens the route by 16 kilometers.
> 
> [...] The toll rate seems quite steep for what is only a 16 kilometer shorter route (1500 ISK =  11.20, 2500 ISK =  18.70).


The main reason for building this tunnel is to go around a mountain pass that is closed more than often in Winter (which lasts from Beginning of October through to End of April in these parts). Also since the ring road is the main artery on Iceland and Akureyri is the main town for something like 200 km around, both building the tunnel and also collecting a fee for having a safe passage all year round seems sensible to me. A reduction of ~50% is available for regular users.

In other news, the Hvalfjördurtunnel is toll free from September last year.


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## hjf (Mar 1, 2013)

ChrisZwolle said:


> A 7.5 kilometer long tunnel called Vaðlaheiðargöng opened to traffic on 28 December 2018. It is located on Route 1 east of Akureyri, in the north of Iceland. It shortens the route by 16 kilometers.
> 
> [...] The toll rate seems quite steep for what is only a 16 kilometer shorter route (1500 ISK =  11.20, 2500 ISK =  18.70).


The main reason for building this tunnel is to go around a mountain pass that is closed more than often in Winter (which lasts from Beginning of October through to End of April in these parts). Also since the ring road is the main artery on Iceland and Akureyri is the main town for something like 200 km around, both building the tunnel and also collecting a fee for having a safe passage all year round seems sensible to me. A reduction of ~50% is available for regular users.

In other news, the Hvalfjördurtunnel is toll free from September last year.


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

keber said:


> That is an approximate price of one beer in the bar there. A similarly long tunnel between Slovenia and Austria saves almost exact number of kms and costs 2 beers in Austria and 3 in Slovenia. So what is a steep rate can be debatable.


Interesting perspective, thank you.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

keber said:


> That is an approximate price of one beer in the bar there. A similarly long tunnel between Slovenia and Austria saves almost exact number of kms and costs 2 beers in Austria and 3 in Slovenia. So what is a steep rate can be debatable.


The prices of alcohol are so high that there is less of a bar culture than southern & eastern Europe, at least from my experience in Norway. So the price of a beer may be steep to Icelanders too (as is the toll).

It will probably be worth it in the winter, but I know I wouldn't regularly pay € 22 for a return trip just to save 2 x 16 kilometers of driving. According to Street View the old road is a decent two-lane road, you can probably drive 80-90 km/h most of the time.


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

Iceland and Norway cultures are not so similar - prices are. Alcohol is expensive but even things like McDonalds meal or a pizza are - both around 20 euro. And I believe that constructing 7.6 km long tunnel can't be cheap and so neither toll can't be.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

The 5.6 kilometer long Dýrafjarð Tunnel (Dýrafjarðargöng) has opened to traffic on 25 October.









Dýrafjarðargöng – opnuð í dag kl 14


‘i dak l 14 verður formleg vígsla á Dýrafjarðargöngum og umferð verður hleypt í gegnum göngin, sem eru nú fullbúin. Af þvi tilefni hefur Vegagerðin birt eftirfarandi samantekt um framkvæmdina…




www.bb.is





Location:


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## VITORIA MAN (Jan 31, 2013)

Carretera perdida by Xavier Gonzàlez Martínez, en Flickr


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## cyberwolf777 (Oct 29, 2020)

This was already referenced earlier in this thread, but just a few comments about the opening of Dýrafjarðargöng last weekend: 
It was an important step in improving the accessibility of the West Fjords particularly in the winter: Dýrafjarðargöng
The tunnel is part of the larger project for Vestfjarðavegur (Road 60) to be fully paved, serviced year round, and to be much less susceptible to road closures due to winterly conditions. Anyone who's been to the region during the winter knows how much of an important project this is, as it will make an entire region of the country much more accessible. Moreover, this creates a second route from Reykjavík to Ísafjörður that is 50km shorter, and together with Djúpvegur (Road 61) this creates a ring road through the West Fjords which will be great for tourism.
The two remaining sections that need to be finished in order to realise this potential have been held up due to disputes about route selection:

It is increasingly certain that the section around Gufudalssveit, seen in the first pic, will follow route Þ-H and be completed between 2023 and 2025.
There are still discussions about route selection regarding both ends of the section over Dynjandisheiði (second pic). However, construction has very recently started in two parts of this section, and it will be completed by 2023. Noteworthy: There will not be a tunnel in the middle of the section (seen in turquoise here), and the connection from Road 60 to Bíldudalur will be built much later.
Dýrafjarðargöng that was just opened won't see anything close to its potential traffic numbers until these two sections are finished.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

A three kilometer segment of Reykjanesbraut (highway 41) has been widened to four lanes in the south of Reykjavík.









Opnað fyrir umferð á tvöfaldri Reykjanesbraut







www.vegagerdin.is


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## cyberwolf777 (Oct 29, 2020)

ChrisZwolle said:


> A three kilometer segment of Reykjanesbraut (highway 41) has been widened to four lanes in the south of Reykjavík.


This is an important milestone - Road 41 (Reykjanesbraut) is the busiest road in Iceland that's not entirely within the Capital Region. Until the early 2000s, it was just a single-lane highway that was very dangerous and saw loads of fatal accidents. 

Well over half of it was widened in the 2000s until 2008, most importantly the 25km or so long section from Hvassahraun to Keflavík, but the financial crisis then halted essentially all infrastructure projects in Iceland for a number of years. 

A few parts still need to be built to complete Road 41:

Widening of the remaining 5.6km section that's still 1+1 between Road 42 and Hvassahraun (by 2024): Draft Environmental Impact Assessment Preview
The section between Road 44 and Keflavík Airport. Currently 1+1 with four roundabouts. Very uncertain how this will look like, depends on the future of the airport, and also not super essential (2030+)
Grade separations, most importantly of the intersection with Bústaðavegur in Reykjavík (2021), as well as of the intersections 41/40 and 41/Lækjargata in Hafnarfjörður (both uncertain)


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## The Wild Boy (Apr 5, 2020)

Can i see a map of motorways in Iceland? 
I see there's a Route 1 road, basically a whole ring road around Iceland? But is that built and will it be in a full motorway?


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## MichiH (Jan 5, 2013)

There is no motorway at all. And no plan for any motorway.


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## The Wild Boy (Apr 5, 2020)

MichiH said:


> There is no motorway at all. And no plan for any motorway.


What about 2+2 roads? Even ones with narrow lanes?


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## MichiH (Jan 5, 2013)

See Chris post above. If memory serves it is the second 2x2 road segment (2 carriageways).


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## Ingenioren (Jan 18, 2008)

The airport road looks sort of like a motorway, altough speed limit is only 90. There are some expressways type road in Reykjavik also.


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## italystf (Aug 2, 2011)

Highway 41 Reykyavik - airport has motorway-like standards in some sections.


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## PovilD (Dec 26, 2011)

italystf said:


> Highway 41 Reykyavik - airport has motorway-like standards in some sections.
> 
> View attachment 1100347











Those preselection lane signs in Iceland reminds my country both by design and by the fact we put them everywhere where possible.
I want to share most extreme example from Vilnius, Lithuania  ...maybe just new signs were implemented before old signs being remove.


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