Police block race over unclear status of Grindavík barriers

Police have restricted access to the defensive barriers in Grindavík because they are still classified as a worksite, leading to the cancellation of the Grindavík Ultra off-road race, mbl.is reports.

Margrét Kristín Pálsdóttir, police chief in the Suðurnes region, said ownership of the barriers remained unclear because construction and final finishing work had not been completed. No safety inspection had therefore been carried out to determine whether public access could be permitted.

“These are not a mountain, hill or anything similar, but a man-made structure that still needs to be finished,” Pálsdóttir said. She added that the police chief’s role was limited to restricting access under the current circumstances, while it was up to the authorities to decide who would own the barriers.

The entire area around the barriers is classified as a danger zone by civil protection. “There is still land uplift and magma accumulation, and nothing has changed in that regard,” Pálsdóttir said.

Runólfur Þórhallsson, director of civil protection, said the issue had been discussed within the government without a decision being reached. It remains under consideration by the authorities.

The barriers were funded by the state, and the decision to build them was taken by the Ministry of Finance.