The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin) has introduced a new remotely operated closure system for Reykjanesbraut. It runs on the main highway heading west near the aluminium plant in Straumsvík, according to reports by mbl.is and other Icelandic media today.
The new system allows the Administration’s control centre (Vaktstöð) to close the westbound lanes of Reykjanesbraut from a distance whenever necessary, for instance due to accidents or hazardous road conditions. Closures can now be carried out at short notice without dispatching police, rescue teams, or road authority staff to the site, mbl.is reported.
Officials from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration say the move is expected to shorten response times and improve safety for both drivers and emergency responders. The remote closure system is run from the control centre and uses the same SCADA control platform as Iceland’s road tunnels.
When a closure is triggered, the process begins about 500 metres from the closure point: electronic traffic signs lower the speed limit from 90 km/h to 70 km/h and activate red flashing lights. Drivers are first warned of a left-lane closure and guided into the right lane before barriers close both westbound lanes. Traffic is then directed off Reykjanesbraut toward the roundabout at Rauðamel, from which vehicles can return eastbound towards Hafnarfjörður and Reykjavík.
Three barriers have been installed to enforce the closure, two on the main highway and one at the roundabout. The roundabout barrier lowers first, followed by the two on Reykjanesbraut about ten seconds later. All barriers are equipped with bright lights and red flashes to clearly signal that the road is closed.
A large information sign near the Straumsvík aluminium plant, normally used for weather updates, displays messages such as ‘Road closed, turn at next junction’ or ‘Road closed due to traffic accident’ whenever the closure system is in use.
Why it matters
Reykjanesbraut is a key route running through the Reykjanes peninsula in south-west Iceland, an area that includes Keflavík international airport and the Blue Lagoon, and has seen repeated volcanic eruptions since 2021. The aluminium smelter at Straumsvík, near Hafnarfjörður, is operated by Rio Tinto.
Sources
Links: tilkynningu.
- Vegagerðin (Icelandic Road Administration) in Icelandic
- mbl.is (first reported) in Icelandic
- Vísir in Icelandic
