Section of Siglufjarðarvegur closed until Wednesday due to landslide concerns in Almenningar

A section of Siglufjarðarvegur through Almenningar will remain closed until Wednesday due to ongoing concerns about landslides and road stability. Heavy rainfall has led to extensive water runoff from the mountainside, increasing the risk of rockfalls. Cracks have also developed in the roadway, highlighting the persistent ground subsidence in the area.

The road, which stretches from Strákagöngum to Ketilási in Fljótum, was shut down on Friday amid severe weather conditions in the Tröllaskagi region. Instances of rockfall and mudslides were reported across multiple sections of the road. Currently, there is a movement of nearly 5 centimeters over a 5-6 kilometer stretch where the roadway traverses Almenningar, necessitating continuous monitoring by road engineers.

Heimir Gunnarsson, a technical engineer with the North Iceland Road Administration, has noted that new cracks tend to appear approximately 24 hours after significant rainfall, and the situation is unfolding similarly now with considerable fissures appearing in the most affected areas. Substantial water continues to drain from the mountainside into road channels, creating additional hazards.

As conditions improve and the weather becomes sunnier, there are hopes that the ground will dry out, leading to a possible reopening of the road by midweek. Meanwhile, the detour from Ólafsfjörður via Lágheiði into Skagafjörður remains open, although caution is advised as mudslides have impacted several locations.