Bridges

The IRCA has made a great effort to document and preserve historical relics, e.g. by renovating historical bridges, for which an award is now given.

In 2015, the IRCA was the first recipient of a Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland Award for important pioneering endeavours in service of cultural heritage protection.

“This award is presented to the IRCA for initiating the protection and renovation of historical bridges in recent years. The IRCA has for a long time endeavoured to document and protect the heritage of its own operations pertaining to the history of road building in Iceland. The institute operates the Icelandic Road Museum, specifically to document- and communicate to the wider public the history of road construction in Iceland. The museum’s artefacts, such as machinery, equipment, tents, and work sheds are on display in a special section of the Skógar Transportation Museum. In addition to the Icelandic Road Museum, the IRCA has initiated the repair or renovation of sixteen historical bridges for preservation at their original locations.

Few technical structures have had more importance for Icelandic society than the first bridges erected over the country’s large rivers at the end of the 19th Century and in the first decades of the 20th. Therefore, it is invaluable that important examples from the evolution of Icelandic bridges have been preserved, including the only steel suspension bridge left from the 19th Century, and the first concrete bridge, built in 1907. The IRCA facilitated the rebuilding of certain bridges to a large extent, while in other cases, the renovation of individual parts sufficed. The goal of the reconstruction projects is two-fold: To ensure the preservation of historical structures and guaranteeing new, worthy uses for them, such as walking paths and riding trails. In some cases, bridges have a role when it comes to tourist attractions, i.e. at Skjálfandafljót by Fosshóll, where the walk across the old steel bridge is an important aspect for visitors in experiencing the canyon below Goðafoss waterfall. In many instances, bridges have conservation value due to their unique architecture, as well as history with regards to technology and transport. Such is the case for the concrete arch bridge across Fnjóská by Vaglaskógur. Viewed through the lens of architecture, it is one of the most beautiful structures built in Iceland in the 20th Century.”