The number of one-lane bridges between Reykjavík and Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in South Iceland is set to decrease from 14 to eight over the next five years, RÚV reports. Minister of Transport Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson stated such in response to a question from Left Green Movement MP Heiða Guðný Ásgeirsdóttir.
Many of Iceland’s most visited tourist destinations lie along this stretch of the Ring Road, where traffic continues to increase. According to the government’s transportation strategy for 2019-2023 and the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration’s plan, six one-lane bridges along the route will be replaced by 2023. By 2033, six of the remaining bridges are set to be replaced as well, leaving only two one-lane bridges on Route One between Reykjavík and Jökulsárlón.
The two one-lane bridges set to remain are the bridge over Skeiðarársandur sand plain, which measures 440m (1,440ft) long, and the bridge over Jökulsá á Breiðamerkursandi river, which measures 108m (350ft) long.
