Iceland has opened its longest tunnel, the Norðfjarðargöng tunnel on Route 92

Iceland has opened its longest tunnel, a 7.9km structure between Neskaupstaður and Eskifjörður, to replace a mountain road often closed during winter storms. Construction of the Norðfjarðargöng tunnel on Route 92 in eastern Iceland started in 2013 and has cost just over €118 million. Tunneling, done using the traditional Nordic drill and blast method, was finished in 2015. The the two-lane Norðfjarðargöng tunnel replaces a smaller tunnel, the 640m Oddsskarðsgöng tunnel, a single-lane structure where cars
November 14, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Iceland’s longest tunnel, the Norðfjarðargöng tunnel at nearly 8km long: Nordic drill and blast work before opening (photo Metrostav)

Iceland has opened its longest tunnel, a 7.9km structure between Neskaupstaður and Eskifjörður, to replace a mountain road often closed during winter storms.

Construction of the Norðfjarðargöng tunnel on Route 92 in eastern Iceland started in 2013 and has cost just over €118 million. Tunneling, done using the traditional Nordic drill and blast method, was finished in 2015.

The the two-lane Norðfjarðargöng tunnel replaces a smaller tunnel, the 640m Oddsskarðsgöng tunnel, a single-lane structure where cars had to pull over at designated stretches to allow oncoming vehicles to pass.

The contractor is a consortium of the Czech-based Metrostav Group and local company Suðurverk. The client is the Icelandic government agency Vegagerðin, the Road and Coastal Administration.

Metrostav has worked in the area before, completing the Siglufjörður and Ólafsfjörður tunnels with a total length of nearly 11km.

Road Structures

Related Content

  • Smart constructioon with GIS, GPS design technology
    May 2, 2012
    A UK highway project has benefited from the latest software, GIS and GPS technology, Mike Woof reports. Sophisticated software, GIS and GPS technology has played an important role in a large highway upgrade project in the UK and helping to increase efficiency and drive down construction costs.
    Read More
  • Smart constructioon with GIS, GPS design technology
    February 16, 2012
    A UK highway project has benefited from the latest software, GIS and GPS technology, Mike Woof reports. Sophisticated software, GIS and GPS technology has played an important role in a large highway upgrade project in the UK and helping to increase efficiency and drive down construction costs.
    Read More
  • Czech Republic: permit for D11 section moving ahead
    October 25, 2019
    The Czech highway authority has applied for permits to start work on a 41km stretch of the D11 motorway, from Prague to the border with Poland at a cost of around €853 million. Last year a consortium comprising contractors Eurovia, Metrostav and Swietelsky began work on a stretch of the D11 connecting Hradec Kralove and Smirice in the north of the country with completion of the €100.5 million project in 2022. The D11 motorway connecting Prague and Hradec Králové began in 1978. It is part of European r
    Read More
  • Kronprinsesse Marys Bro bridges Roskilde Fjord
    January 10, 2019
    A BESIX joint venture is giving the royal treatment to the new Kronprinsesse Marys Bro across Roskilde Fjord, writes David Arminas It was announced in September 2016 that Belgian group BESIX, in a joint venture (RBAI) with Italian firm Rizzani de Eccher and Spanish company Acciona Infraestructuras, had been chosen for the €133 million project. The award, by client Vejdirektoratet (Danish Road Directorate), marked the entry of BESIX into the Scandinavian market. Vejdirektoratet praised the winning bid as
    Read More

Highlighted Content