According to a recent report released by the Icelandic Environment Association, the construction of highways in Iceland’s highland region should be prevented and other highland road constructions limited as much as possible.
Bergur Sigurdsson, the managing director of the non-governmental Environment Association told Fréttabladid it is important that the government creates a clear policy on highland road constructions. He believes elevated highways in the highland would have negative impact on the environment.
“It is important for the government to use this term to form a policy on the highland and work on a rural organization plan which considers environment protection,” Sigurdsson said, adding he celebrated the fact that both Minister of Transport Kristján L. Möller and Minister of the Environment Thórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir had announced they were opposed to elevating the Kjalvegur highland road.
In the Environment Association’s report the importance of separating roads for tourism from roads for common transport was emphasized.
Roads for common transport should be constructed so people could travel quickly and safely between destinations, while roads for tourists should be constructed across interesting territories with slow driving in mind in harmony with the landscape, the report recommended.
The report concluded that roads across Iceland’s highland should be constructed with tourism in mind and the highland should consist of extensive roadless areas.
Click here to view a map of Kjalvegur, road no. 35.
