The Road System

2017

Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, IRCA

According to the Road Act (from 2007), Iceland’s road system is categorised into national roads, municipal roads, public paths and private roads, where national and municipal roads make up a coherent and continuous road system that connects the country’s urban and rural areas.

On pages 6-7 is a map that shows how the public road system is divided into categories: primary roads, primary highland roads, secondary roads, local access roads and highland roads.

National roadsNational roads are for the free travel of the general public. They are categorised as follows:

Primary roadsPrimary roads are a part of the basic transport system and connect the country’s urban areas. These, in turn, are connected to villages with a population of 100 inhabitants or more. Roads with substantial traffic connecting municipalities in the metropolitan area are also primary roads. In cases where a primary road ends in a municipality, it stretches as far as the first intersection with a street that belongs to the municipality. In some cases, a primary road connects an airport or a harbour, that is important for cargo transport or tourism.

Primary highland roadsA part of Iceland’s basic transport system runs through its highlands. Because of the nature of these roads, however, services are limited and they are closed in the winter. Highland roads are usually narrow gravel roads or tracks and most rivers are unbridged.

Secondary roadsSecondary roads are roads outside populated areas that connect primary roads or highland roads to a primary road. They can also be roads connecting a village with less than 100 inhabitants to the primary road system or roads to airports and harbours, which are important to cargo transport and tourism, as well as roads to ferry harbours, national parks and their interiors, and popular tourist destinations in rural areas.

Nesbraut (49) in Reykjavík (Hringbraut), primary road.

Hringvegur, Ring Road (1) in Sudursveit, primary road.

Vestfjardavegur (60) on Brattabrekka, primary road.

Kjalvegur (35), primary highland road.

Mjóafjardarvegur (953), secondary road.

Útnesvegur (574), secondary road.

Eyjafjardarbraut vestri (821), secondary road.

2 3

The Road System 2017. Publisher: Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, IRCA (Vegagerðin), Borgartún 7, IS-105 Reykjavík, Iceland. February 2017. Editor: Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson. Cover photo: Hringvegur, Ring Road (1) north of Vegaskard.

Categories of roads

Local access roadsLocal access roads are roads to places such as farms, factories, churches, public schools and other public places located outside populated areas. They are officially planned and listed in the Road Register. A road can also qualify as a local access road if it connects a group of 30 summer houses or more to a primary or a secondary road.

Highland roadsThese are state roads that do not belong to any of the road categories listed above. This category covers roads across mountains and moors. These roads are usually with seasonal traffic and limited services. Highland roads are usually narrow gravel roads or tracks and most rivers are unbridged.

Public and private roads and public pathsThe owners of public and private roads are the keepers of these roads.Public roads are owned by public authorities and can be used freely by the general public.Public paths can be for walking, cycling or riding and are kept by public authorities. Funds for these paths are allocated in the state road budget.

Sævar, the ferry to Hrísey island.

Path for horses by Kaldadalsvegur (550) at Bolabás.

FerriesThe state road budget is authorised to allocate funds to ferries involved in the transport of people and vehicles across straits and fjords, if the ferry substitutes a primary road or link road connection for at least part of the year.

Footbridge over Nesbraut (49) in Reykjavík (Hringbraut).

Ingjaldssandsvegur (624), local access road.

Hjardarholtsvegur (587), local access road.

Skardsvegur (793) Siglufjardarskard, highland road.

Brúarvegur (907), highland road.

Jökulhálsleid (570), highland road.

Thorgrímsstadavegur (712), local access road.

4 5

0 10 20 30 40 50 km

The road system

Road system categories 2017

Ferries

Primary roads Primary highland roads

3,393 km1,938 km

Total national roads 2,651 km

12,901 kmLocal access roadsHighland roadsSecondary roads

503 km4,416 km. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

07.0

1.20

17 V

AI

Reykjavík

Akranes

Borgarnes

Arnarstapi

Ólafsvík

Hellissandur

Grundarfjördur

Stykkishólmur Búdardalur

Króksfjardarnes

Reykhólar

Brjánslækur

PatreksfjördurTálknafjördur

Bíldudalur

Thingeyri

Flateyri

Sudureyri

Ísafjördur

Bolungarvík

Reykjanes

Nordurfjördur

Gjögur

DrangsnesHólmavík

Bordeyri

Laugabakki

Hvammstangi

Blönduós

SkagaströndSaudárkrókur

Varmahlíd

Hofsós

Siglufjördur

Grímsey

Ólafsfjördur

DalvíkHrísey

Grenivík

Hjalteyri

SvalbardseyriAkureyri

Laugar

Reykjahlíd

Húsavík

Kópasker

Raufarhöfn

Thórshöfn

Bakkafjördur

Vopnafjördur

Egilsstadir

Borgarfjördur

SeydisfjördurMjóifjördur

Neskaupstadur

EskifjördurReydarfjördur

Fáskrúdsfjördur

StödvarfjördurBreiddalsvík

Djúpivogur

Höfn

Fagurhólsmýri

Skaftafell

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Vík

Skógar

HvolsvöllurThykkvibær

Hella

Selfoss

EyrarbakkiStokkseyri

Thorlákshöfn

Hveragerd i

Laugarvatn

Geysir

ReykholtFlúdir

Laugarás

Grindavík

Hafnir

SandgerdiGardur

Keflavík

Hafnarfjördur

Húsafell

Flatey

FaxaflóiHvalfjö

rdur

Breidafjördur

Hvammsfjördur

Gilsfjördur

Arnarfjördur

Dýrafjördur

Önundarfjördur

Ísafjardardjúp

Húnaflói

Hrútafjördur

Skagafjördur

Eyjafjördur

Skjálfandi

Öxarfjördur

Thistilfjördur

Bakkaflói

Héradsflói

Hornafjördur

Vatnajökull

Mýrdalsjökull

Hofsjökull

Langjökull

Thingvallavatn

Thórisvatn

Mývatn

Drangajökull

6 7

0 10 20 30 40 50 km

Paved roads at the end of 2016Gravel roads

Paved roads

27.0

1.20

17 V

AI

8 9

10 11

*) Skeidará 1974 880 m

1 Borgarfjördur 1979 520 m

2 Súla 1973 420 m

3 Ölfusárós 1988 360 m

4 Gígjukvísl 1998 336 m

5 Kúdafljót 1993 302 m

6 Lagarfljót 1958 301 m

7 Hvítá by Brædratunga 2010 270 m

8 Hornafjardarfljót 1961 254 m

9 Markarfljót 1991 250 m

10 Jökulsá in Fljótsdalur 2001 250 m

1 Borgarfjördur 1979 4.659 m2

*) Skeidará 1974 3.870 m2

2 Hvítá by Brædratunga 2010 2.430 m2

3 Gígjukvísl 1998 2.352 m2

4 Ölfusárós 1988 2.340 m2

5 Kúdafljót 1993 2.114 m2

6 Lagarfljót 1958 1.806 m2

7 Súla 1973 1.805 m2

8 Markarfljót 1991 1.750 m2

9 Jökulsá in Fljótsdalur 2001 1.750 m2

10 Kolgrafafjördur 2004 1.725 m2

Largest lane area of bridges

Longest bridges Year Scale 1: 10.000

Road tunnels, largest bridges and mountain roadsThese pages show an overview of the road tunnels, largest bridges on state roads and some mountain roads. Their size is represented with symbols that are to scale.Bridges are listed according to length and the surface area. Because of glacier retreat and changes in the drainage basin Iceland’s longest bridge, across Skeidará, will be replaced with a shorter one in 2017.Combined, the two legs of the Hédinsfjördur tunnel make up the longest road tunnel in Iceland. It cuts through the isolated fjord of Hédinsfjördur, connecting the towns of Siglufjördur and Ólafsfjördur. The sub-sea road tunnel under Hvalfjördur and the road tunnel Vadlaheidargöng are privately owned and are operated on a toll basis.The road north of Reynisfjall, close to Vík í Mýrdal, is only 119 meters above sea level, but is still the most elevated road between Hveragerdi and Höfn. The highest road elevation is to be found in the interior of Iceland on a road through Sprengisandur, which is 940 meters above sea level.

Road tunnels

940

F82

1 S

pren

gisa

ndur

, Nýj

abæ

jara

fréttu

r

820

F26

Spr

engi

sand

ur, N

ýida

lur

720

F55

0 K

aldi

dalu

r

672

F35

Kja

lveg

ur, F

jórd

ungs

alda

655

917

Hel

lishe

idi e

ystri

620

93

Fja

rðar

heid

i

600

F35

Kja

lveg

ur, B

láfe

llshá

ls

540

1 Ö

xnad

alsh

eidi

500

60

Dyn

jand

ishe

idi

439

61

Ste

ingr

ímsf

jard

arhe

idi

420

1 V

atns

skar

ð

407

1 H

olta

vörd

uhei

di

402

60

Bra

ttabr

ekka

374

1 H

ellis

heid

i

335

1 M

ývat

nshe

idi

325

1 V

íkur

skar

d

260

36

Mos

fells

heid

i

119

1 n

orth

of R

eyni

sfja

ll

Mountain roads

Road

Road number

Meters above sea level

Lagarfljót

OddsskardFáskrúdsfjardargöng

AlmannaskardsgöngHornafjardarfljót

SkeidaráGígjukvísl

Súla

KúdafljótMarkarfljót

Hvítá

Borgarfjördur

Kolgrafafjördur

Ölfusárós

Hvalfjardargöng

Breidadals- og Botnsheidi

Múlagöng

HéðinsfjardargöngStrákagöng

Arnarneshamar

Bolungarvíkurgöng

Reynisfjall

Hellisheidi

Mosfellsheidi

Kaldidalur

BrattabrekkaHoltavörduheidi

Dynjandisheidi Steingrímsfjardarheidi

VatnsskardÖxnadalsheidi

Víkurskard

Mývatnsheidi

Hellisheidi eystri

Fjardarheidi

Kjalvegur, Bláfellsháls

Kjalvegur, Fjórdungsalda

Sprengisandur, Nýidalur

Sprengisandur, Nýjabæjarafréttur

Dýrafjardargöng

Jökulsá in FljótsdalurNordfjardargöng

Vaðlaheidargöng

Húsavíkurhöfdagöng

1 Hédinsfjardargöng 2010 11.000 m

2 Breidadals- og Botnsheidi 1996 9.160 m

3 Nordfjardargöng 7.900 m

4 Vadlaheidargöng 7.500 m

5 Fáskrúdsfjardargöng 2005 5.900 m

6 Hvalfjardargöng 1998 5.770 m

7 Dýrafjardargöng 5.600 m

8 Bolungarvíkurgöng 2010 5.400 m

9 Múlagöng 1991 3.400 m

10 Almannaskardsgöng 2005 1.300 m

11 Húsavíkurhöfdagöng 992 m

12 Strákagöng 1967 800 m

13 Oddsskard 1977 640 m

14 Arnarneshamar 1948 30 m

Scale 1: 100.000

Ólafsfjördur 7.100 mSiglufjördur 3.900 m

Breidadalur 4.150 mBotnsdalur 2.907 m

Tungudalur 2.103 m

double lane

single lane

Tunnel in construction

Tunnel in preparation

Road tunnels

Mountain roads

Bridges

Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, IRCA

Borgartún 7, IS-105 Reykjavík, IcelandTelephone: (+354) 522 1000

Webpage: www.vegagerdin.isE-mail: vegagerdin@vegagerdin.is

Information on road conditions, telephone: 1777