Reykjavík City's winter maintenance services began clearing residential streets yesterday and will continue throughout the week. Residents should expect the clearing of residential streets to take four to five days. Crews prioritize working across all neighborhoods simultaneously so that no area is left behind.
Four to five days expected
This is a major undertaking, and clearing residential streets will likely take four to five days. The streets requiring clearing total 1,200 kilometers—nearly the entire length of Iceland's Ring Road. Of that total, residential streets account for 240 kilometers—roughly the distance from Reykjavík to Blönduós. Crews are also removing snow on around 800 kilometers of the pathway system—comparable to the distance to Raufarhöfn.
Winter maintenance services worked at full staff over the weekend. Main roads are passable, and crews are prioritizing bus routes. Some main roads are narrow, but crews will begin widening work shortly.
Pathway work underway across the city
On the pathways, crews have completed one pass in service category one, which covers the most heavily used commuter paths. Crews continue to clear other paths in order of priority.
Because heating systems on heated paths failed to cope with the extreme cold, crews have had to apply deicing treatments, starting yesterday and continuing today. In line with standard practice, crews treated biking paths for ice throughout the weekend and again this morning starting at around 4 a.m.
Salt and sand for residents
You can view the priority order for paths and streets on the map on our snow clearing and deicing page. That page also lists locations where residents can pick up salt and sand. With freezing temperatures forecast for the coming days, we encourage residents to tend to their surroundings by shoveling steps and clearing walking paths.
