Traffic light equipment will be replaced at five intersections on Höfðabakki this summer. At the same time, the speed limit on Höfðabakki will be lowered to 50 km/h, and various upgrades will be made to improve accessibility and safety for all road users.
The City Executive Council has now authorized the Department of Environment & Planning to open bidding for these construction projects. This is a collaborative project with the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration.
The intersections involved are as follows:
- Höfðabakki – Stórhöfði
- Höfðabakki – Dvergshöfði
- Höfðabakki – Bíldshöfði
- Höfðabakki – Vesturlandsvegur
- Höfðabakki – Bæjarháls
The current traffic lights on Höfðabakki are outdated. The upgraded equipment will offer real-time control of the traffic lights, using a new type of radar sensor that controls signal timing based on real-time traffic flow.
Enhanced traffic safety
The project aims to improve safety for vulnerable road users by shortening crossing distances, while also boosting intersection efficiency and traffic flow for all users through upgraded signal control.
As part of the equipment upgrades, the traffic light controls will be reviewed, and adjustments will be made to the immediate surroundings, focusing on the accessibility and safety of vulnerable road users. Improvements to the immediate surroundings are generally minor, such as curb repairs, median widening, installing raised crosswalks, and adding tactile guide paths and warning surfaces. Street lighting will be enhanced, and pedestrian push-buttons with audio signals for the visually impaired will be installed at all pedestrian crossings.
Right-turn slip lane removed at Bæjarháls
More extensive changes are planned at the intersections of Höfðabakki with Bíldshöfði, Vesturlandsvegur, and Bæjarháls.
At Bíldshöfði, traffic lights will be installed on the right-turn slip lane from Bíldshöfði south onto Höfðabakki. A high number of traffic accidents occur here. These accidents are often attributed to drivers from Bíldshöfði merging into fast-moving, dense traffic on Höfðabakki. In these situations, drivers' attention is often focused on the merging maneuver rather than on the vehicle ahead or nearby pedestrians and cyclists.
On Vesturlandsvegur, curved poles with traffic lights will be removed due to poor accessibility and a safety risk for technical staff. Instead, traffic lights will be added to the median.
At Bæjarháls, two right-turn slip lanes will be removed to improve accessibility and safety for pedestrians and cyclists at the intersection. One is from Höfðabakki south onto Strengur, and the other is from Bæjarháls turning right onto Höfðabakki. Currently, there is considerable pedestrian and cyclist traffic, and a main path for cyclists is planned along the eastern side of Höfðabakki in the future. Rear-end collisions are currently common at the right-turn slip lane from Bæjarháls, where drivers focus on the fast traffic on Höfðabakki rather than on the vehicle in front or on pedestrian and cyclist traffic. After the changes, there will be a dedicated lane for this traffic with a specific right-turn signal. Despite these changes, the overall capacity of the intersections and their service level is expected to be similar to the current situation.
The project to replace the traffic light equipment is expected to start this spring and be completed in the fall. The estimated total cost is about 250 million króna. Reykjavík City will cover about one-third of the cost, and the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration will cover about two-thirds.