Vaðlaheiðargöng
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Eyjafjörður, Iceland |
| Route | 1 |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 12 July 2013 |
| Opened | 21 December 2018 |
| Traffic | Automotive |
| Toll | 1,850 ISK |
| Vehicles per day | 1,444 (2021) |
| Technical | |
| Length | 7.4 km |
| No. of lanes | 2 |
| Operating speed | 70km/h |
| Highest elevation | 500m |
| Lowest elevation | 60m |
| Width | 9.5m |
| Grade | 1.5% |
Vaðlaheiðargöng (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈvaðlaˌheiːðarˌkœyŋk] ⓘ, lit. 'Vaðlaheiði Tunnel') 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 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.