Deliberate decision to reduce snow clearance

The cost of winter service on Víkurskarð in north Iceland fell from just over ISK 27.000.000 in 2021 to just over ISK 13.000.000 in 2024, even though winter traffic on the road increased by nearly 57% over the same three-year period. This was stated in a response from the Minister of Infrastructure to a parliamentary question from Ingvar Þóroddsson, MP for Viðreisn (Reform Party). Winter service includes both gritting and snow clearance. Heimir Gunnarsson, a division manager at Vegagerðin (Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration), told RÚV that it was a deliberate decision not to prioritise keeping the road open when an alternative route is available via the tolled Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel. He says it is more sensible to allocate funds to other, more urgent projects. Vegagerðin explains the increase in winter traffic over Víkurskarð by a rise in the number of tourists who avoid paying the toll for Vaðlaheiðargöng. There is also an alternative route via Dalsmynni in Fnjóskadalur if necessary. Víkurskarð is a mountain pass in north Iceland, just inland from Akureyri. It used to be the main eastbound route from Akureyri, but much of the traffic now goes through Vaðlaheiðargöng, which bypasses the stretch.