REYKJANESBRAUT - Kópavogur to Gardabær
SCOPE OF WORK
Technical information
Highway
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Length of road: 4 km
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Number of lanes: 4
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Width of ea. carriageway: 11.5m
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Width of central reserve: 11 m
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Maximum grade of dual carriageway: 3.4%
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Maximum grade of ramps: 7%
Junctions
- The section has three grade separated junctions, at Arnarnesvegur, Vifilsstadavegur and Urridaholt.
Geotechnical quantities
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Excavation of loose material: 380,000 m3
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Excavation of rock: 70,000 m3
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Fillings: 130,000 m3
Bridges and underpasses
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Concrete: 5.700 m3
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Reinforcement steel: 600 tons
Drainage
- Lenght of drainage pipes: 10km
Traffic signs
- Permanent traffic signs: 300
Street lighting
- Light posts: 400
Other designers
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- Landslag - landscape design
- Úti og inni architects
- Vinnustofan Þverá Traffic
Verkís handled almost all aspects of the design of the Reykjanesbraut urban highway project.
- Preparation of tender documents and procurement
- Design of roads and paths
- Design of three grade separated junctions
- Design of bridges
- Design of underpasses
- Design of drainage
- Design of noise reduction
- Design of street lighting Traffic forecasting
- Traffic simulation
- Geotechnical- and groundwater research
DESCRIPTION
The project entailed converting about 4 km of single 2-lane carriageway into a dual carriageway, complete with junctions and underpasses.
The project was divided into four separate stages. In the first stage the dual carriageway was created by building a new two-lane road on one side of the previous road. Two existing junctions were temporarily modified and an underpass for traffic was extended. Two new pedestrian underpasses were built. The second stage took place almost simultaneously when a new grade separated junction was built to connect the new Urridaholt development to the road network. The third and fourth stages entailed changing the two at-grade junctions into grade separated junctions, complete with pedestrian underpasses and local pathways.
A traffic forecast model, based on planning figures, was used to estimate future traffic and decide the capacity of roads and junctions.
New methods were used to compare different solutions for junctions. By using traffic simulation the decision was made to build a grade separated roundabout on the Arnarnesvegur junction, the first of its kind in Iceland.
A traffic noise study was carried out along the entire project area and noise barriers designed to implement the Minister of Environmental Affairs' decision of not allowing noise levels exceeding 55 dB(A).
GENERAL INFORMATION
Reykjanesbraut is one of the major routes around Reykjavik. It connects the south urban area to the northern and western parts and provides a link between the Keflavik international airport and the whole country. The section upgraded in this project lies in three municipalities. In the future all junctions to Reykjanesbraut between Keflavik and the planned Sundabraut are to be grade separated.