Víkurskarð
| Víkurskarð | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Eyjafjörður, the driveway to the top of the pass is by the large bay on the right |
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| Pass height | 325 m | ||
| region | Iceland | ||
| expansion | Pass road | ||
| Built | 1985 | ||
| Map (Iceland) | |||
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| Coordinates | 65 ° 48 '24 " N , 17 ° 57' 59" W | ||
The Víkurskarð is a pass in the northeast of Iceland . It reaches a height of 325 m in the course of the Víkurskarðvegurs 84 as a former course of the ring road between Akureyri and Lake Mývatn in the south of the municipality of Grýtubakki . The ring road now runs through Vaðlaheiðargöng .
Characteristics
From Akureyri, the road first crosses the Eyjafjörður fjord in an easterly direction . It leads along this for around 20 km towards the fjord exit. The ascent to the pass begins at the junction to the Laufás Museum Courtyard and Grenivík . The road winds up steeply and with a very good view of the fjord in good weather.
There is a parking lot at the top of the pass, but there is no view from it. It serves more the hunters and drovers. On the other hand, the road then descends relatively gently into the Fnjóskadalur valley . There you will find many forest plantings, the largest of which is the Vaglaskógur .
Winter traffic obstruction
In winter the pass could develop into a considerable obstacle to traffic, which is why the Vaðlaheiðargöng toll tunnel has been built since 2013 and opened in December 2018. The Ringstrasse now runs through it.
As you approach the pass, you will see an electronic display with information on the temperature and wind speeds (in m / s).
Previous route
Since around 1930 the ring road ran over the Steinsskarð pass on the Vaðlaheiði plateau . This is eight kilometers to the south, but 13 switchbacks in front of and behind the pass make the way difficult. The driving distance between Akureyri and Mývatn is only shortened by 3 kilometers. The pass over the Víkurskarð was completed in 1985.
See also
literature
- Vegahandbókin, Landmælingar Íslands, 2004, ISBN 9979-9750-0-8