The Czech construction company Metrostav has scored another victory in Iceland. Following the Héðinsfjarðargöng and Norðfjarðargöng projects in the northern and eastern parts of the island, respectively, Metrostav will soon start building a 5.6 km long tunnel and a 7.8 km section of road connecting the Dýrafjörður and Arnarfjörður fjords on the sparsely inhabited coast in Iceland's northwest. Metrostav will execute the project in cooperation with a local partner, the company Suðurverk.
Both tunnel portals will be built in the typical windswept Nordic landscape. The roads to Arnarfjörður are closed for most of the winter, during which they are opened only once a month. The local people need tunnels, as they are able to provide a fast and safe link between their municipalities throughout all the seasons. "We trust that the geological conditions will be more favorable for boring than was the case with the previous tunnel projects. According to the plan, construction will begin in May of this year and will be completed in September 2020," said Aleš Gothard, who prepared Metrostav's bid for the project.
The Dýrafjörður tunnel is one of numerous ventures undertaken by Metrostav in Nordic countries. Workers of the largest Czech construction company have completed not only two underground projects in Iceland, but also a number of ventures in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. Metrostav has performed well in Scandinavia despite tough competition and difficult geological conditions. While working in Nordic countries in the past, the Czech tunnel builders have encountered extreme climatic conditions, logistics complications in distant areas, and influxes of massive amounts of icy water during the boring of tunnels.
Additional Information: Vojtěch Kostiha Spokesperson, Metrostav a.s. Telephone: 266 019 715 E-mail: vojtech.kostiha@metrostav.cz