When the Fáskrúðsfjarðar Tunnel was put into operation in 2005, the first phase of the Suðurfjarða Road was set to begin soon. Now, over two decades later, construction is finally beginning at Reyðarfjarðarbotn, where the road connects to a roundabout at the town boundary of Reyðarfjörður.
That is certainly good news, but the fact is that 21 years have passed since the tunnel opened and according to current plans, the entire project is not expected to be completed until about 35 years later. It is difficult to understand how such an important highway for East Iceland can sit on hold for so long.
According to the current transportation plan, construction on Suðurfjarðavegur is scheduled as follows:
- Reyðarfjörðurbotn, 1.7 km — 2027–2028 — cost 2,020 m.kr.
- Fáskrúðsfjarðarbotn – Vík, 13 km — 2031–2035 — cost 2,700 m.kr.
- Stöðvarfjörður – Kambaskriður, 9.3 km — 2030–2035 — cost 2,100 m.kr.
- Vík – Stöðvarfjörður, 12.5 km — 2036–2040 — cost 1,850 m.kr.
Those projects that are lagging behind must stop being pushed further and further back in the transportation plan and instead must be accelerated.
In total, the project is estimated to cost around 8.7 billion ISK at today's prices. But as always with large transportation projects, there is a certain amount of uncertainty. Depending on the assumptions, the cost could range from 85%-140% of the estimate. This means that the final cost could be anywhere from around 7.4 billion to over 12 billion ISK.
What is particularly noteworthy, however, is that in parallel with the first phase of the construction, possible tunnel options along the route are to be examined. It is in itself positive that all options are being seriously examined. Underground tunnels could increase safety, shorten routes and improve transportation in the long term.
The question that many are wondering, however, is whether necessary improvements are being postponed by putting the project back into an endless assessment process. That would be an unacceptable outcome, as the Suðurfjarðavegur has been under discussion for decades and the residents of the area know well how vulnerable the section is during the winter and when the weather is bad.
Meanwhile, value continues to flow this way every single day, seafood, manufactured goods and other exports that create jobs and income for the East and the economy as a whole. Therefore, this is not just about transportation for residents, but also about the economy, security and future of the region.
A clear decision needs to be made about the next steps. East Iceland cannot wait indefinitely for safe and reliable transportation. The only thing that is in hand is to Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn in Fjarðabyggð plans to continue fighting for improved transportation in the municipality, and the Suðurfjarðavegur is certainly among them!
The author is from Stöðfjörður and is sixth on the Independence Party's list in Fjarðabyggð in local elections.