Route 1 or the Ring Road is a national road in Iceland that runs around the
island and connects most of the inhabited parts of the country. The
total length of the road is 1,332 kilometres. Some of the most popular
tourist attractions in Iceland, such as the Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss
waterfalls, and Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, are also on or near the Ring
Road. The ring was completed in 1974,
coinciding with the 1100th anniversary of the country's settlement when the
longest bridge in Iceland, crossing the Skeiðará river in the southeast, was
opened. Characteristics
For almost all its length, the road is two lanes wide: one lane going in each
direction. Where it passes through larger towns, the number of lanes may be
increased, as also in the Hvalfjörður Tunnel. Many smaller bridges are single
lane, especially in eastern Iceland, and constructed of wood and/or steel. The
road is paved with asphalt for most of its length, but there are still
stretches in eastern Iceland with an unpaved gravel surface. The Iceland Road
Administration, Vegagerðin, oversees the maintenance and building of both main
roads and minor roads. Although paved, some portions of the
road are still the original 1940s country roads, and contain hazards such
as blind curves and blind summits, single lane bridges, and narrow passes.
In winter, icy roads and sheer winds, 15 m/s for cars with trailers, 25m/s for
cars without trailers, can make travel hazardous, as elsewhere in Iceland.
Currently, 32 km out of the 1,332 km are unpaved.
The maximum speed on most of the road is 90 kilometres per hour, and 80
kilometres per hour on gravel. = Driving in winter =
Almost all of Route 1 has winter service, mainly snow removal, but some
parts are not kept open in the winter: most notably Breiðdalsheiði, between
Breiðdalsvík and Egilsstaðir in the east; although it is kept open in
spring, summer and autumn. Instead, travelers use the somewhat
sinuous coastal route via Reyðarfjörður using Routes 96 and 92 to travel between
these places. This is also an option in the summer, since Route 1 between these
places is only 10 kilometres shorter than 92 and 96, but the latter is paved
the whole way. = Natural hazards =
Route 1 crosses a few glacial outwash plains, such as Skeiðarársandur, which
make road construction difficult. In addition, the Skeiðarársandur plain is
subject to frequent glacial outburst floods during or after Grímsvötn
eruptions. Bridges and other stretches of road over the plains have had to be
rebuilt as a result. = Traffic =
Traffic on the road varies considerably between locations: in and near Reykjavík
it is around 5,000–10,000 vehicles per day, but the stretches farthest away
from larger towns see fewer than 100 vehicles per day on average.
The Ring Road is popular with tourists since it covers most of the country and
many sights of interest are not far from it. It has been an especially popular
tour with Icelandic families on summer vacation, but in recent years the route
is becoming more popular with foreigners who either rent a car or bring their own
on the ferry to Seyðisfjörður. Sections
The route goes by many names depending on location. The following table shows
road names in a clockwise direction from Reykjavík.
= Major links = Route 1 includes a number of bridges and
a few tunnels. The most notable are: Hvalfjörður Tunnel
Almannaskarð Tunnel Vaðlaheiði Tunnel
List of cities and towns on Route 1 Travelling clockwise from Reykjavík, the
following communities and settlements are located on Route 1.
Reykjavík Mosfellsbær
Borgarnes Bifröst
Blönduós Akureyri
Reykjahlíð Egilsstaðir
Breiðdalsvík Djúpivogur
Höfn Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Vík í Mýrdal Skógar
Hvolsvöllur Hella
Selfoss Hveragerði
Gallery References
External links Gateway to Iceland
Official Icelandic Road Administration Driving in Iceland
Photos from Iceland Ring Road Iceland’s Ring Road: The Ultimate Road
Trip Iceland Meteorology Bureau
Umferðarstofa - Road Traffic Directorate Wikimedia Atlas of Iceland