Cracks discovered in Jökulsá á Fjöllum bridge raise concerns in Iceland

Cracks have been discovered in the concrete towers supporting the suspension bridge over the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river on National Route 1, raising concerns about the need for strengthening or repairs. The Road Administration has suggested that allowing the transport of a heavy crane over the bridge this summer may have been a mistake.

The bridge, built in 1947, is now 77 years old. There was no authorization obtained to transport the crane back, necessitating its return by sea. According to officials, heavy loads compromise the integrity of these aging structures.

Pétur Matthíasson, head of the Road Administration’s communication department, stated that many old bridges, including those over the Jökulsá river, were not designed for the heavy traffic they now see. He emphasized that each time a very heavy transport crosses these bridges, it can weaken them.

The situation has become more pressing following the sighting of cracks in the bridge’s towers last winter, which prompted the need for closer inspection regarding repairs or reinforcements. Pétur expressed that the transport of the crane across the Jökulsá á Fjöllum bridge this summer perhaps should have been prohibited.

As a result, the heavy crane will need to be transported from Þorlákshöfn to Seyðisfjörður, with a stop in the Faroe Islands. The Road Administration recognizes the necessity for caution concerning heavy transports, reiterating that old bridges are particularly vulnerable to such loads.