Significant progress has been made on the new Þorskafjörður bridge since construction began on the project some two years ago. The bridge is part of the Vestfjarðarvegur, which will better connect many communities in this remote region of Iceland.
“We currently have about fifteen people here. Eight excavators, two bulldozers, a dump truck. You name it, whatever is needed. This is a massive project. For example, with the bridge itself, about four thousand cubic meters of concrete were used. 400 tons of steel, so it’s quite significant,” stated project manager Einar Valur Valgarðsson to RÚV.
Einar believes it’s safe to say that the project is nearing completion.
“Now we’re just continuing to connect the western side and finish the filling work,” he continued. “We’re also breaking up rocks.”
The bridge will be important to the region, as it will shorten the route through Þorskafjörður by some 22 km [13 mi].
It will also increase access to the Barðaströnd region, one of Iceland’s most remote regions. This region is largely dependent on the ferry Baldur which sails across Breiðafjörður. However, the ferry has had technical difficulties in recent years.
The completed bridge will be 260 m in length and will allow travellers to drive through the southern Westfjords on an entirely paved road.
The Þorskafjörður project began in 2021 and has cost roughly ISK 2 billion [$14 million; €13 million]. The project is due for completion in July 2024, but according to project manager Einar, it could well be done before that.
