Accessible experience bridge over Elliðaár
The Árbær dam will become an accessible pedestrian crossing featuring an experience bridge over Elliðaár. The project also includes trail improvements south of the bridge and upgraded stopping points on both riverbanks. The City Council approved an amendment to the Elliðaárdalur land-use plan at its meeting this week. The amendment removes the boundary designation for the now-defunct Árbær pond, replacing it with a defined area for the natural Elliðaár river channels.
A unique natural and recreational gem
The amendment also covers Rafstöðvarvegur, bringing improvements to the pathway system and related design elements. The goal is to preserve the valley and its surroundings as a unique natural and recreational gem in harmony with heritage conservation. The bridge design will prioritize minimizing impacts on the area's biota.
A focus on heritage preservation
Plans call for removing part of the Árbær dam and most of the hydroelectric station's pressure water pipe along Rafstöðvarvegur. The Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland permitted changes to these protected structures based on the preliminary design, and further development will occur in close consultation with the agency. Construction of the Árbær dam spanned from 1920 to 1995. Sections from each construction phase will serve as foundations for the new experience bridge, preserving a testament to the dam's history. The former pressure water pipe corridor will house a trail and installations referencing the area's history and heritage.
A natural part of ecological restoration
Over recent decades, thousands of dams have been removed across Europe and the United States with positive results. Experience shows that nature responds quickly—river channels recover and fish species return to previously inaccessible areas. Such projects are now considered a natural part of ecological restoration.
This trend is already evident in Elliðaár. Salmon have begun migrating up Árbæjarkvísl again, and the rate of upstream migration and spawning there has risen from 2% to 14% in just four years.
Open house at the Elliðaár Station visitor center
After electricity generation ceased at the Elliðaár hydroelectric station, a Water Act provision required the Reykjavík utility company Orkuveitan to submit a decommissioning plan. Orkuveitan will present a proposed decommissioning plan alongside this land-use plan amendment. In connection with this, the Elliðaár Station visitor center will host an open house on Tuesday, April 28, and Wednesday, April 29, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Representatives from Reykjavík City and Orkuveitan will be on hand to discuss and answer questions about the proposed land-use plan changes and hydroelectric structures in Elliðaárdalur. Everyone is warmly welcome.
The proposal will be available for public review in the Urban Planning Portal, the Consultation Portal for planning matters at skipulagsgatt.is, from April 21 through June 2, 2026. Interested parties are encouraged to review the proposal. Suggestions and comments on the proposal must be submitted through the Urban Planning Portal by June 2, 2026. For more information, email skipulag@reykjavik.is.
