The Westmann Islands town council recently had a meeting with the Icelandic Maritime Administration and the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland to discuss the advantages of a new docking point for the islands’ ferry.
According to the Mayor of the Westmann Islands, Ellidi Vignisson, a new ferry docking point in Bakkafjara in south Iceland would be revolutionary for transport to and from the islands.
With a new docking point, it would take about 30 minutes to sail between the Westmann Islands and the mainland instead of two hours and 45 minutes as it does now, when the ferry travels to Thorlákshöfn, as Fréttabladid reports.
If it departed instead from Bakkafjara, the ferry could sail to the Westmann Islands six times a day instead of only two times. Furthermore, the international consulting firm Det Norske Veritas believes it is six times safer to sail to Bakkafjara than to Thorlákshöfn.
The operations are estimated to cost ISK 4.9 billion (EUR 57 million, USD 75 million).
“In my mind it is clear that a transport improvement like this would provide a condition for a population growth although it is certainly not as good an option as a tunnel,” Vignisson said.
Construction of a tunnel from the mainland to the Westmann Islands has also been considered by officials, and after final estimations the two options will be compared. Vignisson said a decision will be made next spring.
