Roads in Iceland

This article covers road transportation in Iceland.^[1]^[2]

History

British War Office map showing major roads in Iceland, circa 1942

As late as 1900 Iceland had only a few miles of roading suitable for wheeled transport, mostly located in the southern regions of the island. A network of bridle paths permitted travel and transport elsewhere. In 1884 a Norwegian expert was brought in to organise the construction of proper roads.^[3] Beginning in 1888 a series of iron bridges were constructed to cross major rivers.^[4] In 1894 a Road Act was passed classifying Icelandic roads into four categories. The first were "High Roads" (also called "National Roads") that were entirely funded by the state. The second were "Provincial Roads" that were funded by the provinces except where they were could be used for carriage-transport, in which case there were subsidised by the state for up to half their cost. The third category was that of "Parish Roads" which were of local importance and funded by individual parishes. The fourth category was "Mountain Roads", which cross mountainous and upland regions and were largely bridle-paths marked by stone-cairns erected at the expense of the state.^[3]

Annual expenditure of road-building rose from 23 thousand krónur on average between 1876 and 1893 to 1,859 in 1939, and between 1899 and 1929 a total of 159 bridges of 10 metres in length or longer were constructed.^[3] In 1913 the first motor-vehicles arrived in Iceland, with the number reaching more than 400 in 1925. By 1933 around 3,000 km of motor-routes had been built on the island, with around 3000 motor cars being in use on Icelandic roads by 1935 according to one estimate.^[5] A different estimate published by the British Royal Naval Intelligence division put the total length of roads in Iceland in 1936 at 4,400 km, of which 2,800 km were motorable, with nearly all the motorable roads being in the coastal regions in the west of Iceland.^[3] The same Naval Intelligence study put the total number of motor vehicles on the island at 2,225 in 1940, of which 835 were motor cars, 1,120 trucks, and the rest buses and motor cycles.^[6] This network of motorable roads linking Reykjavik to Akureyri was central to the German invasion plan under Operation Ikarus, which relied on motorised troops landed at Reykjavik and Akureyri to advance quickly along it in order to take control of the island in four days.^[7]

By 1942 regular bus-services were operating between Reykjavik and Akureyri on the northern coast, with the journey taking two 12-hour days if conducted entirely by bus. At the same time a private company also operated an internal bus service for the Reykjavik area called Strætisvagnar Reykjavikur, operating around 20 single-decker buses.^[6]

Road types

Driving on an unpaved road in the Highlands of Iceland

National roads

Roads belonging to the national highway system are maintained by the Icelandic Road Administration. They are categorized into the following types:

Primary Road (S) - all roads belonging to the so-called Grid Icelandic transport.
- Primary highland road
Secondary road (T) - are the roads that connect institutions and tengivegi, and are generally over 10 km in length.
Local access (H) - Roads to individual farms and regional connections that do not qualify tengivega (district roads with four-digit numbers are not listed here).
Highland (L) - ways that can not be considered for any of the above standards, as well as all mountain roads.

Other roads

F roads are unpaved tracks that may only be driven in vehicles with four-wheel drive. Some include unbridged rivers that must be forded.^[1] Trying to drive on an F-road with a normal passenger car means a large risk of being stuck outside of phone coverage and is a breach of Icelandic traffic law, for which one can get a fine.

Road numbering scheme

The Icelandic road numbering scheme is made up of eight numbering zones which divide the island and mostly follow the division into regions. Each numbering zone has a number which determines what the first digit of the number is.

Division by zones

The first digits of the numbers are divided as follows (see Regions of Iceland):

The Ring Road which circles Iceland has the number 1 and it is the only number starting with number 1 (there are no such numbers as 10-19 or 100-199).
Numbers starting with 2 are in Eastern South Iceland, which is divided by the Þjórsá river.
Numbers starting with 3 are in Western South Iceland, which is divided by the Þjórsá river.
Numbers starting with 4 are in Reykjavík and vicinity and on the Reykjanes peninsula.
Numbers starting with 5 are in West Iceland.
Numbers starting with 6 are in the Westfjords.
Numbers starting with 7 are in Western North Iceland, which is divided in the middle of Tröllaskagi peninsula.
Numbers starting with 8 are in Eastern North Iceland, which is divided in the middle of Tröllaskagi peninsula.
Numbers starting with 9 are in East Iceland.

Categorization by digits

There are no numbers other than for the Ring Road (number 1) consisting of only one digit (there are no such numbers as 2-9). Other numbers can have two or three digits. They are divided as follows:

Numbers with two digits are used on the main roads of the road system (other than the Ring Road).
Numbers with three digits consist of other roads of significant length in the areas.
There are also some numbers with the prefix F with either two or three digits, usually derived from similar non F-numbered roads (they can be an extension of said road). These numbers stand for roads which are generally impassable for vehicles which are not capable of four-wheel driving.

List of roads

Roads with one-digit numbers

Number	From/to	Notes
1	Via Reykjavík, Borgarnes, Blönduós, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Höfn, Vík, Hella, Selfoss and finally back to Reykjavík.	Circular. Often called the "Ring Road."^[8]

Roads with two-digit numbers

The first number (2 to 9) indicates the region of Iceland where the road is located.^[1]

Number	Name	From	To	Notes
22	Dalavegur	Básaskersbryggja, Vestmannaeyjar harbour	Vestmannaeyjar Airport
25	Þykkvabæjarvegur	1 at Hella	275 at Þykkvabær
26	Landvegur	1 near Hella	Kvíslavegur	Becomes F26 Mountain Road north of Þórisvatn
F26	Sprengisandsleið	26 near at Versalir	842 near Mýri/Bólstaður in Bárðardalur, North Iceland
30	Skeiða- og Hrunamannavegur	1 east of Selfoss	35 at Kjóastaðir
31	Skálholtsvegur	30 at Sandlækur	35 at Spóastaðir	Via Laugarás and Skálholt
32	Þjórsárdalsvegur	30 at Sandlækur	26 near Sultartangalón
33	Gaulverjabæjarvegur	1 at Selfoss	34 near Stokkseyri
34	Eyrarbakkavegur	1 at Selfoss	38 north of Þorlákshöfn
35	Biskupstungnabraut	1 at Selfoss	732 near Eiðsstaðir	Becomes F35 Mountain Road between Gullfoss and Eiðsstaðir
F35	Kjalvegur	35 by Gullfoss	1 at Langidalur	Former F35 is now road 35.^[9]
36	Þingvallavegur	1 at Mosfellsbær	35 at Öndverðarnes	Via Þingvellir
37	Laugarvatnsvegur	35 at Svínavatn	35 near Geysir	Via Laugarvatn
38	Þorlákshafnarvegur	1 at Hveragerði	Þorlákshöfn
39	Þrengslavegur	1 between Reykjavík and Hveragerði	38 at Sléttahraun
40	Hafnarfjarðarvegur	Reykjavík	41 at Hafnarfjörður
41	Reykjanesbraut	450 at Reykjavík	Leifur Eiríksson Air Terminal at Keflavík International Airport	Via Keflavík. To a large part built like a motorway.
42	Krýsuvíkurvegur	41 at Vellir	38 at Sléttahraun
43	Grindavíkurvegur	41 near Vogar	427 at Grindavík
44	Hafnavegur	41 at Njarðvíkur	425 at Hafnir
45	Garðskagavegur	41 at Keflavik	44 at Hafnir	Via Garður and Sandgerði
46		41 at Njarðvíkur	41 west of Keflavík	Former 41 through Keflavík.
47	Hvalfjarðarvegur	1 at Saurbær	1 at Hagamelur	Former 1 around Hvalfjörður.
48	Kjósarskarðsvegur	47 near Háls	36 west of Þingvellir
49	Nesbraut	1 at Gufuneskirkjugarður	Seltjarnarnes	Via Reykjavík.
50	Borgarfjarðarbraut	1 near Grjóteyri	1 at Haugar
51	Akrafjallsvegur	1 at Hagamelur	1 at Innri-Hólmur	Via Akranes
52	Uxahryggjavegur	53 at Hvítarvellir	36 at Þingvellir
53		1 near Eskiholt	50 near Hvanneyri
54	Snæfellsnesvegur	1 near Borg á Mýrum	60 near Álfheimar	Snæfellsnesvegur, via Fróðárheiði - Ólafsvík - Grundarfjörður
55	Heydalsvegur	54 at Tröð	57 at Bíldhóll
56	Vatnaleið	54 at Vegamót	57 near Berserkjahraun
57		60 at Stóriskógur	54 east of Ólafsvík
58	Stykkishólmsvegur	57 near Gríshóll	Stykkishólmur
59	Laxárdalsvegur	60 south of Búðardalur	61 near Borðeyri
60	Vestfjarðavegur	1 at Dalsmynni	61 west of Ísafjörður
61	Djúpvegur	1 south of Melar	630 at Bolungarvík	Via Ísafjörður
62	Barðastrandarvegur	60 at Smiðjunes	63 at Geirseyri
63	Bíldudalsvegur	60 near Ísufell	62 at Geirseyri
64	Flateyrarvegur	60 at Veðrara-Ytri	Flateyri
65	Súgandafjarðarvegur	60 at Botnsheiði	Suðureyri
F66	Kollafjarðarheiði	60 near Klettur	61 at Laugaból	F66 Mountain Road throughout entire length.
67	Hólmavíkurvegur	61 near Hólmavík	Höfðatún street, Hólmavík
68	Innstrandavegur	1 in Hrútafjörður	61 near Hólmavík
69		60 near Litla Holt	61 at Fjarðarhorn
72	Hvammstangavegur	1 near Stóri-Ós	711 at Hvammstangi
74	Skagastrandarvegur	1 east of Blönduós	745 at Skagaströnd
75	Sauðárkróksbraut	1 at Varmahlíð	76 near Narfastaðir	Via Sauðárkrókur
76	Siglufjarðarvegur	1 east of Vellir	793 at Siglufjörður
77	Hofsósbraut	76 near Hofsós	76 near Hofsós	Goes through the village of Hofsós where it changes to a street in the village and then back to road 77
82	Ólafsfjarðarvegur	1 north-west of Akureyri	76 at Nýrækt	Via Dalvík and Ólafsfjörður. Goes through Múlagöng tunnel.
83	Grenivíkurvegur	1 north of Garðsvík	Grenivík
85	Norðausturvegur	1 near Kross	1 at Axlir	Via Húsavík
87	Kísilvegur	1 at Reykjahlíð	85 at Laxamýri
F88	Öskjuleið	1 at Hrossaborgarlind	910 near Víkursandur	F88 Mountain pass throughout entire length.
91	Hafnarvegur í Bakkafirði	85 south-west of Bakki	Bakkafjörður
92	Norðfjarðarvegur	1 at Egilsstaðir	Neskaupstaður	Via Reyðarfjörður and Eskifjörður
93	Seyðisfjarðarvegur	94 at Egilsstaðir	951 at Seyðisfjörður
94	Borgarfjarðarvegur	92 at Egilsstaðir	946/947 at Borgarfjörður
96	Suðurfjarðavegur	1 Breiðdalsvík	92 near Búðareyri	Via Búðir
97	Breiðdalsvíkurvegur	1 near Breiðdalsvík	96 near Breiðdalsvík	Goes through the village of Breiðdalsvík
98	Djúpavogsvegur	1 near Djúpivogur	Djúpivogur Harbour
99	Hafnarvegur	1 near Ártún	Höfn

Roads with three-digit numbers