Scenic road closed for winter

Drivers are frequently warned to avoid the road from Eiði to Funningur and Gjógv in Eysturoy in the winter.

The road has not been salted or cleared of snow for some years, which has caused many cars and buses to get stuck on the icy or snowy roads despite signs warning of risks caused by lacking road maintenance.

This has now prompted road authority Landsverk to close the road from 1 October to 1 May, a decision made in consultation with the police.

“The narrow roads make it extremely difficult for rescue workers to attend accident scenes,” writes Landsverk in a press release.

Commuter: pure madness

Sofus Debes Johannesen, who commutes daily from his home in Gjógv, is less than pleased with the decision to close the road.

Gjógv, kommunur

Caption: 

Gjógv is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations

“It’s pure madness. I didn’t believe my eyes when I read about it, he told newspaper dimma.fo.

“We regular commuters know the road well. We know when it’s too dangerous to drive there, and then we take the alternative road via Funningsfjørður.”

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.