Public informational meeting on Sundabraut road in Kjalarnes

Ritstjórn
The meeting was packed, with strong participation in discussions that followed the presentations. Myndir/Anton Brink
People in the auditorium at the informational meeting with a screen in front of them.

Turnout was strong at the public informational meeting at Klébergsskóli in Kjalarnes on Monday evening, Oct. 20, where route options for Sundabraut were presented to the public. The meeting was prompted by the publication of the Sundabraut environmental assessment report and draft municipal plan amendments in the Urban Planning Portal.

The meeting was packed, with strong participation in discussions that followed the presentations. Guðmundur Valur Guðmundsson, a representative of the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration and chair of the Sundabraut planning project steering committee, presented the project and the findings of the environmental assessment report at the meeting. Andri Gunnarsson and Ragnhildur Gunnarsdóttir from EFLA engineering firm, the consulting firm for the environmental assessment report, discussed road connections and specific aspects of the assessment. Meanwhile, Haraldur Sigurðsson, head of division for municipal planning at Reykjavík City's Department of Environment & Planning, reviewed the project's alignment with the City's municipal plan.

After the question-and-answer session, attendees could examine the data with specialists at several stations around the room and learn more about the project.

Questions about road tolls and biking paths

The meeting covered Sundabraut route options discussed in the environmental assessment report: routes with high or low bridges over Kleppsvík Bay or tunnels underneath, as well as alignments continuing over to Kjalarnes. The presentation also covered how the construction would improve traffic flow in the capital area and its alignment with planned changes to Reykjavík's municipal plan.

At the meeting, some Kjalarnes residents said they had been waiting a long time for Sundabraut, which was one of the conditions for the merger with Reykjavík in 1998. Questions were also asked about the planned toll system, but how it will be implemented has not yet been decided. Similarly, attendees also asked if it would be possible to bike from the city center to Kjalarnes and were told that combined walking and biking paths are planned along the entire route. Some attendees also mentioned that they were going home more informed and satisfied. A recording of the meeting is available here:

Reykjavík's key principles for the project

  • Improving transportation for all travel modes: driving, public transit, walking, and biking.
  • Minimizing negative impacts on nearby residential areas and connections between neighborhoods.
  • Having a minimal impact on harbor operations and leading to the favorable long-term development of harbor areas.
  • Ensuring structures fit well with the landscape, nature, and built environment, while maintaining ambitious aesthetic design standards.
  • Designing road structures, bridge solutions, and landfills to minimize impacts on biota.
  • Seeking ways to minimize the scope and land requirements of the main road, ensuring that road structures have the least possible impact on valuable outdoor recreation areas, natural habitats, and future development zones.

Photo gallery from the meeting

Public comment period open until Nov. 30

The meeting at Klébergsskóli was the first in a series of public meetings where residents can learn about the construction project, ask questions, and submit comments. The goal is to allow residents to learn about the project directly, get more detailed information, and ask specialists about the issues that matter most to them.

A total of three informational meetings about Sundabraut will be held in Reykjavík, covering the results of the environmental assessment for Sundabraut and the draft municipal plan amendments. The next meeting will be held in Laugardalur, with a third in Grafarvogur:

The environmental assessment report and draft municipal plan amendments are available in the Urban Planning Portal. Official statements or comments can be submitted until Nov. 30.

We emphasize that these are draft proposals now undergoing preliminary review, before the formal municipal plan amendment is finalized and publicly announced. The final decision on the Sundabraut route and design within the municipal plan will be based on the environmental assessment's findings, public feedback from the upcoming comment period, and further agreement between the city and the state.