Walking and cycling route nears completion across capital region

The so-called north-south axis for pedestrians and cyclists is nearing completion, mbl.is reports. The route is one of the capital region’s main transport corridors for active travel and passes through four municipalities.

The route runs south from Suðurlandsbraut in Reykjavík through Fossvogur, Kópavogur and Garðabær to Hafnarfjörður. It is considered one of the most complex but important improvements for walking and cycling undertaken in recent years.

Construction is nearing an end, apart from two junctions where footbridges may be built and a short section in Garðabær where a covered trench is being considered.

Katrín Halldórsdóttir, director of walking and cycling paths at Betri samgöngur, said the route was among those used most heavily by cyclists every day, particularly during peak hours by people travelling to and from work or school.

She said the route was important if cycling was to become a realistic alternative to driving for commuting. Cycling groups have long stressed the importance of separated paths to improve safety and make journeys easier.

The north-south axis runs from the junction of Suðurlandsbraut and Laugavegur south along Kringlumýrarbraut, Hafnarfjarðarvegur and Reykjavíkurvegur to Hafnarfjörður.

A separated walking and cycling path already runs from the junction of Laugavegur and Suðurlandsbraut along the western side of Kringlumýrarbraut, across Háaleitisbraut and Miklabraut, and beneath Bústaðavegur to Fossvogur and Kársnesbraut.

The remaining sections without separation between pedestrians and cyclists are at the Miklabraut junction and in an underpass beneath an exit road from Bústaðavegur to Suðurhlíðar.

Plans for separated paths were initially less clear in Kópavogur, Garðabær and Hafnarfjörður. That changed in recent years, particularly after the capital region’s transport agreement was signed and Betri samgöngur took responsibility for the route as one of the region’s main corridors.

Cyclists have faced numerous diversions and disruptions during the construction work. Halldórsdóttir said she understood the frustration, but added that considerable effort had been made to complete the route as quickly as possible.

“A great deal of emphasis was placed on finishing this,” she said, describing the work as a substantial logistical challenge. “But this north-south axis will soon be finished, and it will be fantastic.”