Iceland celebrates 50th anniversary of nation-connecting Skeiðarárbrú bridge inauguration

Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the inauguration of the bridge over Skeiðarársand in Iceland. The bridge’s construction revolutionized transportation in the country, as it completed the ring road around Iceland, connecting all the settlements in a continuous route. The Skeiðarárbrú bridge was in use for over 40 years and was the longest bridge in the country.

The then Minister of Transport, Magnús Torfi Ólafsson, during the inauguration, stated, “Today, the circle is closed with the ring road that connects the settlements around Iceland into a continuous whole so there is no longer a dead end on the road.”

The bridge was initially 904 meters long. It was damaged during a flood in the Skeiðarár River in 1996, but a large portion of it withstood the onslaught. The bridge was rebuilt, slightly shorter at about 880 meters but was still the longest bridge in the country. The bridge was in use until 2017 when the Skeiðarár route changed, and a much shorter bridge over Morsá was used. Since 2017, the longest bridge in the country has been the Borgarfjörðarbrú, which is considerably shorter at 520 meters long.

The construction of the bridge marked a significant milestone in the country’s transportation history, particularly for the residents of Skaftfell, who no longer lived at a dead end but were now on a major route. With the construction of this bridge, the isolation of the settlements in the east was finally broken. Now, the route is accessible to everyone, with many eager to explore the untamed and majestic nature that reigns here.