IN Brief:
- Iceland has prioritised year-round links in North Iceland’s national transport plan.
- Scope includes a 5.3 km tunnel plus associated roads, structures, and systems.
- Preliminary and detailed design is scheduled to complete in November 2026.
COWI has been awarded the preliminary and detailed design contract for the Fljótagöng tunnel project by Vegagerðin, Iceland’s Road and Coastal Administration, with the work programme running through to November 2026.
The assignment covers the design of a 5.3 km tunnel and associated road infrastructure intended to provide a more reliable, year-round route between Siglufjörður and the Fljót district in North Iceland. The design scope spans multidisciplinary engineering and technical advisory services, including geotechnical engineering, road and bridge design, water and wastewater systems, structural design, electrical engineering, and tunnel control and safety systems. Plans also include multimodal elements such as provision for pedestrians, cyclists, and riders, alongside rest areas and supporting infrastructure.
The new alignment is intended to replace a mountain route that has been subject to subsidence, severe winter weather, and periodic closures. In practice, that shifts the engineering challenge from seasonal maintenance and disruption to the up-front work of understanding geology, managing interfaces between highway, structures, and tunnel systems, and designing for resilience in exposed terrain.
Environmental and hazard constraints also sit at the centre of the design brief. The tunnel alignment passes through a water conservation area, and the corridor carries known landslide and avalanche risks. That combination typically drives early-stage emphasis on ground investigation strategy, portal siting, drainage and water protection measures, and operational safety systems, as well as construction staging that limits impacts during sensitive periods.
Tender information published by Vegagerðin indicates the procurement attracted three bids for the design services. COWI’s proposal was below the authority’s cost estimate and was selected for award. The published documents describe the works as including a tunnel between Nautadalur and Hólsdalur, together with new road sections, structures, and junction works.
Fljótagöng has been identified as a priority investment within Iceland’s national transport planning framework through 2040. While the current contract covers design, the schedule and technical decisions made over the next nine months will set parameters for later procurement, including construction methodology, programme risk, and the requirements that will be placed on future works contractors.
