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55-559: The road was completed in 1974, coinciding with the 1,100th anniversary of the country's settlement when the longest bridge in Iceland, crossing the Skeiðará river in the southeast, was opened. Previously, vehicles intending to travel between southern settlements, e.g. Vík to Höfn, had to travel north of the country through Akureyri, making the opening a major transport improvement to the country. Many popular tourist attractions in Iceland, such as

110-411: A volumetric flow of 350L/s of 50 °C and around 500L/s of cold water was found separately in 2015. Initially the hot water was discharged into the sea just west of the tunnel, creating a small tourist attraction of its own, with locals bathing in the hot waterfall by the shore. The local utility , Norðurorka, plans to use the cold water for the local area, including Akureyri in future. In 2017,

165-691: A clockwise direction from Reykjavík. Travelling clockwise (initially northward) from Reykjavík, the following communities and settlements are located on Route 1. During the 2016 summer solstice , the Icelandic band Sigur Rós filmed and broadcast a live Slow TV event tour of Iceland driving along the entire route. The event was broadcast live in 360-degree video with a soundtrack of constantly evolving music based around elements of their track "Óveður". [REDACTED] Wikimedia Atlas of Iceland Settlement of Iceland The settlement of Iceland ( Icelandic : landnámsöld [ˈlantˌnaumsˌœlt] )

220-463: A drift ice in the fjord he decided to name it "Ísland" (Iceland). Despite difficulties in finding food, he and his men stayed another year, this time in Borgarfjörður , but they headed back to Norway the following summer. Flóki would return much later and settle in what is now known as Flókadalur . It is said with accuracy that a Norwegian called Ingólfr travelled from there [Norway] to Iceland for

275-439: A full circle, circumnavigating the island and establishing that the landmass in question was indeed an island. He departed the following summer, never to return but not before giving the island a new name – Garðarshólmur (literally, Garðar's Island). One of his men, Náttfari , decided to stay behind with two slaves. Náttfari settled in what is now known as Náttfaravík, close to Skjálfandi . Landnámabók maintains that Náttfari

330-476: A hunting and fishing outpost only inhabited part of the year, but it is not known whether it was built by people from Scandinavia, Ireland or Scotland. Two longhouses built consecutively on the same site in Stöð near the village of Stöðvarfjörður in eastern Iceland have been excavated since 2015. The older of these is one of the largest longhouses ever found in Iceland and may date to as early as 800. Bjarni F. Einarsson,

385-511: A local competition was launched to find the best use of the hot water. After the utility connections had been constructed, in 2022 a geothermal spa called 'Forest Lagoon' opened, located a few kilometers south of the tunnel in Eyjarfjarðarsveit. The tunnel uses automatic number-plate recognition to collect tolls and is completely unmanned and has no toll collection booths. Users either register on their website and pay, or, after 24 hours

440-639: A name that the Norsemen used for the Irish. Ingólfr was said to have settled a large part of southwestern Iceland, although after his settlement nothing more was known of him. His son, Þorsteinn Ingólfsson, was a major chieftain and was said to have founded the Kjalarnesþing  [ is ] , the first thing , or parliament, in Iceland. It was a forerunner of the Althingi . As winter approached, Ingólfur's slaves found

495-481: A regular expressway , and can be upgraded to a 4 lane road when traffic necessitates it. Currently, the section between Kjalarnes and the Hvalfjörður tunnel is being upgraded to a [2+1 road] and should be complete by 2023. The 7.4km long Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel near Akureyri in the north of the country shortened the route by 16km and improved winter safety, bypassing a mountain road. In more rural parts of

550-478: A short period of time, but gave the country a name: Snæland (Land of Snow). He was followed by the viking explorer Garðar Svavarsson , who was the first to stay over winter. At some time around 860, a storm pushed his ship far to the north until he reached the eastern coast of Iceland. Garðar approached the island from the east, sailed westward along the coast and then up north, building a house in Húsavík . He completed

605-521: A sixth-to-seventh-century settlement should be rejected. Other archaeological sites have been found which predate the traditionally accepted date of 874 for the earliest settlement of the island. Some dwellings were excavated in Reykjavík in 1971–73 which were found below the 'Settlement Layer' and thus must date to before 870. A cabin in Hafnir was abandoned between 770 and 880 CE. It is thought to have been

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660-431: A smaller proportion of the modern population. Though the notion that population pressure drove migration to Iceland remains unsupported in the academic literature, a number of reasons have been offered for the settlement of Iceland: Written sources say some settlers took land freely, others bought lands from earlier settlers, some were gifted land by earlier settlers, and that some settlers took lands from others through

715-463: Is paved for all of its length and is mostly two lanes wide: one lane going in each direction. The Icelandic Road Administration, Vegagerðin , oversees the maintenance and operation of the Ring Road. The road is generally of good quality, recent road improvement projects have improved safety considerably. However the road still has hazards, going over many higher-altitude mountain passes in all parts of

770-489: Is a toll tunnel in the north of Iceland along Route 1 , just east of Akureyri . It passes between Eyjafjörður and Fnjóskadalur . It is 7.4 km (4.6 mi) long and replaces a 21 km section of Route 1 including the Víkurskarð pass, often closed during winter. The tunnel shortens the travel between Akureyri and Husavik by 16 km. As of 2024, it is the only toll road in Iceland. The tunnel's construction

825-702: Is generally believed to have begun in the second half of the ninth century, when Norse settlers migrated across the North Atlantic . The reasons for the migration are uncertain: later in the Middle Ages Icelanders themselves tended to cite civil strife brought about by the ambitions of the Norwegian king Harald I of Norway , but modern historians focus on deeper factors, such as a shortage of arable land in Scandinavia . Unlike Great Britain and Ireland, Iceland

880-480: Is popular with tourists since it covers most of the country and many sights of interest are located near to the route. It has long been a popular route with Icelandic families going on summer vacation, but in recent years the route is becoming more popular with foreign tourists who either rent a car or bring their own on the ferry to Seyðisfjörður . Traffic levels on the road vary considerably between locations: in and near Reykjavík around 20,000-50,000 vehicles use

935-415: Is thus the second-to-last major land mass to be permanently settled by humans ( Madagascar and New Zealand being colonized in the mid-first millennium and thirteenth century, respectively). According to one hypothesis, which is based on radiocarbon dating evidence from Vestmannaeyjar off the southern coast of Iceland, the island was first settled by Norsemen as early as the end of the sixth century or in

990-507: The Icelandic Commonwealth period is considered to begin. Archeological evidence shows, however, "that immigrants continued to arrive in Iceland throughout the 10th century". The authors of one study speculate that "continued immigration may have been needed to sustain the population". Landnámabók claims that the first Norseman to rest his feet on Icelandic soil was a viking by the name of Naddoddr . Naddoddr stayed for only

1045-531: The Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, Dyrhólaey cliffs, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, as well as Mývatn lake, Dettifoss and Goðafoss waterfalls in the north are easily accessible from the Ring Road. The road passes through almost all areas of the country (everywhere apart from the Westfjords ), making it a popular itinerary to take for tourists and vacationing locals alike in Iceland. The Ring Road

1100-485: The 1970s. In addition, the Skeiðarársandur plain is subject to frequent glacial floods during or after eruptions on the nearby Grímsvötn volcano . Bridges and other stretches of road over the plains have had to be rebuilt as a result, notably during the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 , when the ring road was severed for several days in the south. These are not considered to a be a risk to everyday travellers as

1155-516: The Norsemen, from a Hiberno-Scottish mission when they arrived in Iceland. There is some archaeological evidence for a monastic settlement from Ireland at Kverkarhellir cave, on the Seljaland farm in southern Iceland. Sediment deposits indicate people lived there around 800, and crosses consistent with the Hiberno-Scottish style were carved in the wall of a nearby cave. Ari Thorgilsson writes that

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1210-502: The air and then returned to the ship. However, the third flew in front of the ship and they followed its direction to Iceland. He landed in Vatnsfjörður in the Westfjords after passing what is now Reykjavík . One of his men, Faxi, remarked that they seemed to have found great land—the bay facing Reykjavík is therefore known as Faxaflói . A harsh winter caused all of Flóki's cattle to die—he cursed this cold country, and when he spotted

1265-437: The country had been "fully settled" by 930. Correspondingly, Landnámabók suggests that within about sixty years, all the usable land had been taken; it mentions 1,500 farm and place names, and more than 3,500 people, arranged in a geographical fashion. In the periodisation of Icelandic history, therefore, the age of settlement is considered to have ended in the year 930 with the establishment of Alþingi ; at this point

1320-644: The country is about 2% forested, with the Icelandic Forest Service aiming to increase that share to 10% through reforestation and natural regrowth. Scholars have argued that the settlers caused soil erosion through extensive deforestation and overgrazing . One study suggests that the primary motive for the deforestation was "clearance for pastures and home-fields", not the "settlers' requirements for fuel and building material". Va%C3%B0lahei%C3%B0arg%C3%B6ng Vaðlaheiðargöng ( Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈvaðlaˌheiːðarˌkœyŋk] )

1375-477: The country, mostly in the glacial plains of the south and the Eastfjords , 31 single-lane bridges exist on the Ring Road. Dating back to the original construction of the road in the 1970s, they are sometimes constructed of wood or steel. Vehicles who approach the bridge first have the right of way. These are often narrow and long, making passing difficult, especially when there is high traffic. Non-locals, unaware of

1430-829: The country, which can have steep gradients and sharp curves, as well as blind curves and summits and single-lane bridges, especially in the more rural east of the country. Driving in winter one must take special precautions and pre-check driving conditions with the Icelandic Road Administration to ensure the road is passable. The speed limit is 90 kilometres per hour (56 mph) on open sections; 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) in tunnels and 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) through urban areas. A few speed cameras operate on roads just outside of Reykjavík and in all tunnels. In recent years, due to increased traffic and demands for higher road safety, many large improvements have been made in both capacity and safety of

1485-619: The country. Heavy summer traffic is especially a problem during the summer at the town of Selfoss , where a single two lane bridge, Ölfusárbrú, is routed through the town carries practically all of the traffic in the south of the country, a significant bottleneck. This is planned to be replaced by a new bypass road and new 4-lane bridge over the Ölfus river, with current plans seeing it complete by 2025. The ring road has complete coverage of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations , with around 30 DC fast charging sites spaced approximately 50-80km apart. They are located in almost all towns along

1540-456: The details they provide about the settlement, and recent research focuses more heavily on archaeological and genetic evidence. Traditionally, the Icelandic Age of Settlement is considered to have lasted from 874 to 930, at which point most of the island had been claimed and Alþingi (Althingi), the assembly of the Icelandic Commonwealth , was founded at Þingvellir (Thingvellir). Iceland

1595-550: The first time when Haraldr the Fine-Haired was sixteen years old, and a second time a few years later; he settled in the south in Reykjarvík. Another Norseman, by the name of Ingólfur Arnarson , had instigated a blood feud in his homeland, Norway. He and his foster-brother Hjörleifr Hróðmarsson went on an exploratory expedition to Iceland, and stayed over winter in what is now Álftafjörður . A few years later they returned to settle

1650-469: The head of the archaeological team which excavated the site, believes that the older longhouse was used as a summer outpost by Scandinavians. In archaeologist Orri Vésteinsson's view, there was probably a period of seasonal settlement of the island before permanent settlements were established. The Íslendingabók of Ari Thorgilsson claims that the Norse settlers encountered Gaelic monks, called papar by

1705-545: The island of Thule . They said that darkness reigned during winter but that the summers were bright enough to pick lice from one's clothing, but the veracity of this source may be questioned. Additionally, Iceland is only about 450 kilometres from the Faroes , which had been visited by Irish monks in the sixth century, and settled by the Norse around 650. Written sources consider the age of settlement in Iceland to have begun with settlement by Ingólfr Arnarson around 874, for he

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1760-520: The land with their men. When they approached the island, Ingólfur cast his high seat pillars overboard and swore that he would settle where they drifted to shore. He then sent his slaves Vífill and Karli to search for the pillars. In the meantime, Hjörleifr had been murdered by his Irish slaves. Ingólfr hunted them down and killed them in the Westman Islands . The islands got their name from that event, with westmen (Old Norse: vestmenn ) being

1815-400: The monks left upon the arrival of the Norsemen since they did not want to live with non-Christians. The oldest known source which mentions the name "Iceland" is an eleventh-century rune carving from Gotland . There is a possible early mention of Iceland in the book De mensura orbis terrae by the Irish monk Dicuil , dating to 825. Dicuil claimed to have met some monks who had lived on

1870-406: The motivation behind the construction would be to benefit the voting demographic in the marginal constituency in which it was located. Initially, the collection fee was 1,000 ISK if the toll was not paid within three hours. This was controversial as tourists and non-regular users were unaware of the system, and was later reduced to 400 ISK and grace period increased to 24 hours. As of April 2024,

1925-496: The number of initial settlers ranging between 311 and 436. While the written sources emphasise settlement from Norway, genetic evidence shows that the founder population of Iceland came from Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia: studies of mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomes indicate that 62% of Icelanders' matrilineal ancestry derives from Scotland and Ireland (with most of the rest being from Scandinavia), while 75% of their patrilineal ancestry derives from Scandinavia (with most of

1980-522: The pillars by Arnarhvoll . When summer came, he built a farmstead in Reykjavík and claimed all the land west of the rivers of Ölfusá , Öxará and Brynjudalsá . His slave Karli did not care for the location, and said to Ingólfur: "How ill that we should pass good land, to settle in this remote peninsula." Prior to the deforestation of Iceland in the Middle Ages , some 40% of the land was forested. Today,

2035-536: The rest being from the Irish and British Isles). Archaeogenetic evidence suggests that the actual founding population included a higher proportion again of settlers from the Irish and British Isles: one study found that the mean Norse ancestry among Iceland's settlers was 56%, whereas in the current population the figure was 70%. It is thought likely that most of the settlers from Ireland and Scotland came as slaves, and therefore reproduced less successfully than higher-status settlers from Scandinavia, making them ancestors of

2090-402: The ring road. In the southwestern corner of the country, near Reykjavík , between the larger towns of Mosfellsbær and Selfoss , the road is usually divided by a barrier and has three or four lanes of traffic, mostly being a 2+1 lane partly- controlled access highway , similar to a 2-lane expressway . At current traffic levels, 2+1 lane roads provide similar safety and traffic requirements to

2145-414: The road daily, rural sections serving routes between Reykjavik and Akureyri in the west and Reykjavík and Vík in the south see traffic volumes of around 2,000 to 5,000 vehicles per day. The stretches farthest away from larger towns, mostly in the sparsely inhabited east of the country see an average around 500 vehicles per day. Traffic on the ring road is also subject to considerable variation between

2200-404: The road, or for maintenance teams to clear the road of snow after major snowfalls. A few major mountain passes prone to closure in heavily trafficked parts of the ring road: Winter closures used to be more common in the past. In recent years, new tunnels such as the 7.4km long Vaðlaheiðargöng near Akureyri in the north, have reduced the need to close the road due to snow. Prior to rerouting,

2255-413: The roads are closed well in advance of a warning of a volcanic eruption. Since its completion, the ring road has seen constant growth in traffic, and has seen an even quicker growth during the recent rise in number of tourists arriving in Iceland. Average traffic recorded along the ring road rose from a consolidated count of 57,000 vehicles per day in 2005 to over 90,000 vehicles per day in 2019. Route 1

Route 1 (Iceland) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2310-529: The route between Breiðdalsvík and Egilsstaðir (over the Breiðdalsheiði plateau) in the east was often closed in winter. Route 1 was rerouted in November 2017, now using the somewhat sinuous coastal route via Reyðarfjörður , using (now former) Routes 96 and 92 to travel between the towns. Route 1 crosses a few glacial plains, such as Skeiðarársandur , which made the original road construction difficult in

2365-809: The route, as well as rest stops and other locations. Each site has anywhere from 2-16 charging posts and they are operated by various companies including N1 , Orka Nattúrinnar and Tesla . Charging power at each site ranges from 50-250kW and are CCS Type 2 standard, with most also supporting the older CHAdeMO standard. The longest stretch between chargers is a 113km section in the northeast, from Mývatn to Skjöldólfsstadir - where there are no amenities (including gasoline). The ring road first became covered by EV charging stations in 2018, initially by Orka Nátturinnar . Additionally, there are many slower AC charging stations at hotels, tourist attractions and towns. The route goes by many names depending on its location. The following table shows road names (excluding tunnels) in

2420-407: The rules of single-lane bridges, have ended in head-on and serious collisions using these bridges. Considered a major safety issue, the Icelandic Road Administration aims to rebuild/upgrade all bridges on the ring road to modern two lane standards. Single-lane bridges were reduced from around 60 in 2010 to 32 in 2020. Within the next five years, an additional 14 bridges are to be rebuilt, mostly along

2475-412: The seventh century. The dated material was found under a layer of tephra (volcanic fragments), called the 'Settlement Layer', left by an eruption dated through ice core analysis to about 871. However, doubts have been raised about the accuracy of this dating because of the possible effect of volcanic carbon dioxide on the dating process. According to Magnús Stefánsson, the attribution of this material to

2530-400: The southern coast. Route 1 has the highest priority for snow removal from the Icelandic Road Administration and is serviced seven days a week during the winter, with teams keeping the road open as weather allows. Conditions are monitored 24/7 and relayed to the public through their website and telephone helpline. During extreme weather it may take hours until the weather calms down to open

2585-416: The toll is invoiced to the owner through their vehicle registration plate , incurring a collection fee of 550 ISK. The tolls as of April 2024 are: The construction of the tunnel and the Icelandic government's role was somewhat controversial. Opponents of the project said the project would not be profitable within a reasonable span of time (if at all), the construction costs would exceed original estimates and

2640-408: The tunnel. The tunnel was scheduled to open in the fall of 2018. As of April 2017, the tunnel had been drilled, but finishing up and building the road remained. The tunnel opened on 21 December 2018. The two water ingresses encountered during the construction of the tunnel were contained and conduits were placed in the tunnel to its western entrance (Akureyri side). The hot water found in 2014 had

2695-548: The use of force or threat of force. Lands were likely not rented during the Age of settlement. Medievalist Hans Kuhn argued that lands were given away or taken freely because earlier settlers had no need for such extensive lands. Historian Gunnar Karlsson notes that it could be rational for earlier settlers to encourage new settlers to settle lands nearby so as to ease maintenance of cattle and slaves, and as insurance in times of crisis. Ari Thorgilsson claims in Íslendingabók that

2750-409: The winter and summer, with the traffic in summer often being double or more than during the winter. This is due to a lower flow of tourist and agricultural traffic, as well as the roads being less passable or even closed during the winter. Traffic can become considerably heavy on weekends during the summer, when locals flock to travel around the country for holidays, camping and summer house visits across

2805-460: Was delayed by two water ingress incidents, one being of geothermal hot water . Due to this, temperatures inside the tunnel rise up to 22-26 °C in the warmest sections, and one of the tunnel's emergency laybys has even been used for hot yoga . The hot water found is used in a local geothermal spa a few kilometres south of the tunnel. The estimated cost of the tunnel was ISK 11.5 billion (2013 prices, about US$ 96 million) but by April 2017, it

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2860-572: Was not a permanent settler. The next Norseman to arrive in Iceland was named Flóki Vilgerðarson , but the year of his arrival is not clear. According to the story told in Landnámabók , he took three ravens to help him find his way. Thus, he was nicknamed Raven-Flóki (Icelandic: Hrafna-Flóki ). Flóki set his ravens free near the Faroe Islands. The first raven flew back to the Faroes. The second flew up in

2915-468: Was reported that the costs had surpassed the estimates by 44%. The Icelandic government loaned 4.7 billion ISK to the construction of the project in April 2017. The tunnel was planned to open at the end of 2016. However, a large cold water leak was found in early 2015 and large supports needed to be put in place. Adding to the problems, a large volume of hot water was also found and needed to be pumped out of

2970-424: Was the first to sail to Iceland with the purpose of settling the land. Archaeological evidence shows that extensive human settlement of the island indeed began at this time, and "that the whole country was occupied within a couple of decades towards the end of the ninth century." Estimates of the number of people who migrated to the country during the Age of Settlement range between 4,300 and 24,000, with estimates of

3025-418: Was unsettled land and could be claimed without conflict with existing inhabitants. On the basis of Íslendingabók by Ari Þorgilsson , and Landnámabók , histories dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and providing a wealth of detail about the settlement, the years 870 and 874 have traditionally been considered the first years of settlement. However, these sources are largely unreliable in

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