Low Bridge (Everybody Down)

From: Nordic Visitor
Date: Sat, Jul 10, 2011
Subject: Your upcoming trip to Iceland


You have probably seen that our volcanoes have been popular news items lately, but we can report that there are no volcanic eruptions happening at the moment.

However, we do want to update you about damage to Iceland’s major highway, the Ring Road (Route 1), in rural South Iceland. In the early hours of Saturday, July 9^th a flood from the nearby Mýrdalsjökull glacier washed away a bridge in the sparsely-populated Múlakvísl area.

We are happy to report that nobody was harmed. It is important to note that the Iceland Civil Protection Department has a good handle on natural events like these and is proficient in protecting the health and safety of the public. 

At this time, the Icelandic Meteorological Office is unable to confirm if sub-glacial volcanic activity caused the flooding, but they do not believe this is a sign of any imminent volcanic eruption. Also, there are no other indications of further flooding. Scientists will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Meanwhile, the Iceland Road Administration is evaluating the damage and has begun preparations for repairs. According to the latest reports, bridge repairs may take roughly two weeks so even if your itinerary takes you across the affected area it is unlikely that your holiday plans will be impacted. 

There is already a detour open to 4WD vehicles and it is estimated that the detour will soon be able to accommodate all vehicle types. 

As this situation may change, we will send you another update after the weekend with the latest status of the repairs and details about the detour.

You may be wondering what this means for your planned holiday around Iceland, so we have taken steps to assure minimal travel disruptions for our customers. See details below.