A recent sod-turning ceremony by Iceland’s minister for infrastructure, Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, signalled the start of work for a replacement bridge over the Olfusar river.
The main contractor for the 330m-long bridge is THG Verk – in Icelandic, ÞG Verk. The cable-stayed structure across the country’s largest river will have a 60m tower and a 19m-wide deck plus a walking and cycling path, according to Vegagerðin, the national Road and Coastal Administration agency.
The bridge will reroute the ring road outside the town of Selfoss and is expected to open in the fall of 2028. The US$102.8 million project, which includes road connections, will be paid for out of tolling revenue. Vegagerðin is the legal owner of Iceland’s roads and has the authority to execute construction of infrastructures on demand from the government.
The new Olfusarbru – a replacement for an 80-year-old suspension bridge – has been designed for better seismic resistance as well as flooding by the Olfusar river.
An original cable Ölfusárbrú was first built in 1891 and became the largest bridge in Iceland at the time. But in 1944 the eastern bearing cables broke due to the weight of two trucks. The existing 84m-long suspension bridge was built in 1945 and is in the town of Selfoss. It handle around 14,500 vehicles daily, according to Icelandic media reports.
