Police may close access to Látrabjarg during eclipse rush

Police in the Westfjords are prepared for thousands of visitors travelling to see Wednesday’s total solar eclipse, mbl.is reports. No traffic queues have been reported yet, but officers expect them to form later in the day.

Chief Superintendent Hlynur Snorrason said police will eventually stop allowing people to travel to Látrabjarg, the cliffs where the eclipse will last among the longest in Iceland.

Police do not have exact figures for how many people have arrived in the Westfjords, but traffic counters showed that about 1,300 vehicles had travelled over Klettsháls road alone. The road leads to Örlygshafnarvegur, which continues towards Látrabjarg.

Police estimate that parking is available for about 3,600 vehicles and approximately 11,000 people along the 45-kilometre unpaved and difficult road section. Snorrason said access to Örlygshafnarvegur would be closed before the area reached its capacity.

Traffic control has been introduced on Óshlíðarvegur south of the Westfjords and in tunnels beneath Breiðdalsheiði and Botnsheiði. One-way traffic is in effect on Örlygshafnarvegur, Rauðasandsvegur and Barðastrandarvegur.

General traffic is also barred from travelling up Bolafjall, where the eclipse will be visible for one minute and 39 seconds. Shuttle services will run there from the community centre in Bolungarvík.

“Traffic will not move very quickly, and drivers will need to be patient,” Snorrason said. He added that the eclipse could be experienced in many places across the Westfjords, not only at Látrabjarg and Bolafjall.