It is vital to secure funding for road construction.

Hafnarfjörður reiterates the importance of establishing an overall strategy for works on the Reykjanesbraut within Hafnarfjörður, where the timing of the works is determined and funding is secured. Work has now begun on the construction of a roundabout at Krýsuvíkurveg, but other projects have not yet been put into preparation. 

A memorandum on transport matters was presented at a meeting of the Hafnarfjörður town council yesterday, and the town council subsequently passed a resolution calling on the constituency's Members of Parliament to ensure that funding is secured in the 2018 budget and in subsequent years to complete the works. on the Reykjanesbraut within Hafnarfjörður. Discussions with the minister and Members of Parliament are requested at the earliest opportunity regarding this urgent matter of safety and public interest.  

Widening of the Reykjanes Highway and junction renewal not on the government's plans

According to the road plan, works on the Reykjanesbraut from Vogar to Kaldárselsvegur are planned for the years 2015-2022, but an extension of the Reykjanesbraut from Kaldárselsvegur to Álftanesvegur does not appear on the government's plans. When the total funding for roadworks in the capital region is examined, it is clear that projects there have been very scarce in recent years. Hafnarfjörður has been left behind in this regard, despite figures on traffic volume showing that the traffic at Setberg in Hafnarfjörður is approaching the traffic volume at Ártúnsbrekka per lane. All traffic at Setberg passes through a single roundabout with two lanes, which is used by an average of 47,300 cars a day. Residents have increasingly given up on using the roundabout, which has led to increased and undesirable traffic volume and speeds within residential areas. It is imperative to ensure traffic safety on this stretch from Krýsuvíkurveg to Álftanesveg.

Hlíðartorg was conceived as a temporary solution almost 15 years ago. 

There is a great need to upgrade the junctions at Kaplakrika and Lækjargata, and the figures for accident frequency and traffic volume clearly show that they are long overdue. The roundabout at Lækjargata/Setberg, Hlíðartorg, was intended as a temporary solution at the time, and it was immediately clear that it would not cope with the traffic. Both junctions are ranked 5th and 6th for the highest number of accidents among urban junctions in Iceland in the 2015 annual accident report from Samgöngustofa, and 1st and 2nd when considering the most accident-prone roundabouts in the capital region.  On a 3.5-kilometre stretch of road from Kaldárselsvegur to Krýsuvíkurvegur, there were just over 100 accidents in 2015, giving a rate of 28 accidents per kilometre. Alongside the growing number of tourists on the roads, the population of Hafnarfjörður has increased, as have the number of employees in the expanding residential and commercial area of Vallahverfi. These facts demand the dualling of the Reykjanesbraut through the town before more serious accidents occur.  

A written statement can be found in the minutes of the town council meeting – see item 7