Vesturlandsvegur expansion set for completion in 2029

A joint bid from Suðurverk hf. and Fossvélar ehf. has been selected as the lowest offer to widen Vesturlandsvegur on Kjalarnes, mbl.is reports. The bid was just under 4.7 billion Icelandic krónur, and the road is scheduled to open for use in 2029.

The lowest offer was 4,680,697,303 krónur, or 90.4 per cent of the estimated construction cost of 5,180,542,567 krónur. Four bids were submitted and opened by the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration on Tuesday.

The other offers came from Borgarverk ehf., at 5,127,577,313 krónur; Ístak hf., at 5,315,683,272 krónur; and Íslenskir aðalverktakar hf., at 5,392,068,227 krónur.

The project covers a 5.6-kilometre section of the Ring Road, from Vallá to Hvalfjarðarvegur near the Hvalfjörður Tunnel. The existing two-lane road will be widened into a combination of 2+1 and 2+2 roads with separated carriageways.

The work includes roundabouts, a cast-in-place underpass, a steel-plate underpass, an extension to the existing underpass at Kléberg School, a rest area and side roads.

Part of the roadbed has already been loaded with fill, and further ground loading will be needed. Gravel has been placed in the roadbed in preparation for the main construction work.

The project must be fully completed by 30 September 2029. The widened section of Vesturlandsvegur from Kollafjörður to Vallá opened in summer 2023.