Tórshavn bans heavy vehicle traffic at night

Tórshavn City Council has placed a ban on night-time traffic for heavy vehicles.

Lorries weighing 24 tonnes or more are banned from driving on roads in the capital Monday-Saturday 10pm-7am and all Sunday.

The decision was made yesterday after numerous complaints from residents saying the constant noise and vibrations in their area are disturbing their sleep.

Forty lorries every night

The heavy traffic primarily consists of lorries transporting stones from the Streymoy-Sandoy subsea tunnel project via the capital to a dumping place near Runavík.

Recent traffic measurements at Tórshavn’s Velbastaðvegurin road show that about 40 big lorries pass through the capital every night, sometimes up to ten lorries per hour.

”Many of our citizens complain that the vibrations from the passing lorries are unbearable, and we need to do something about that,” says Tórshavn mayor Heðin Mortensen.

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“Not only are these vehicles noisy; they are also a safety threat as they pass through schools, and they’re not very kind to the environment either.”

According to the mayor, the ban will be in place until further notice. Signs have been placed at all roads leading to the city. Heavy vehicles will, however, still be allowed to pass through the Yviri við Strond road.

The company in charge of the Sandoy subsea tunnel has been reached for comment but so far with no response.

Translated by prosa.fo

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