Most mountain roads in Iceland’s highlands remain closed to summer traffic because of bad conditions. The gravel roads turn into muddy quagmires when thawing out after winter and become difficult to travel cross.
According to the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, highland roads tend to open in July. Weather conditions determine when the roads are opened to traffic – it’s important that the roads dry out after winter so that they aren’t damaged by traffic.
“The roads will not open any time soon,” Ágúst Freyr Bjartarsson, who oversees the Fjallabak and Sprengisandur roads, told Morgunblaðið newspaper.
The most frequented highland roads are Kjölur, Sprengisandur and Fjallabaksleið nyðri. The first two are old public pathways that used to connect the North and the South.
Information on mountain roads is available on IRCA’s website, including the first map of 2016 showing the condition of mountain roads.
Please note: Highland roads are only meant for vehicles equipped with 4×4.
Most mountain roads in Iceland’s highlands remain closed to summer traffic because of bad conditions. The gravel roads turn into muddy quagmires when thawing out after winter and become difficult to travel cross.
According to the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, highland roads tend to open in July. Weather conditions determine when the roads are opened to traffic – it’s important that the roads dry out after winter so that they aren’t damaged by traffic.
“The roads will not open any time soon,” Ágúst Freyr Bjartarsson, who oversees the Fjallabak and Sprengisandur roads, told Morgunblaðið newspaper.
The most frequented highland roads are Kjölur, Sprengisandur and Fjallabaksleið nyðri. The first two are old public pathways that used to connect the North and the South.
Information on mountain roads is available on IRCA’s website, including the first map of 2016 showing the condition of mountain roads.
Please note: Highland roads are only meant for vehicles equipped with 4×4.
