road is usually divided by a barrier and has three or four lanes of traffic, mostly being a 2+1 lane partly-controlled access highway, similar to a 2-lane expressway. At current traffic levels, 2+1 lane roads provide similar safety and traffic requirements to a regular expressway, and can be upgraded to a 4 lane road when traffic neccitates it. The sections between Hveragerði and Selfoss, as well as between Mosfellsbær and the Hvalfjörður tunnel are being upgraded to 2+1 roads and should be complete by 2023. The 7.4km long Vaðlaheiðargöng tunnel near Akureyri in the north of the country shortened the route by 16km and improved winter safety, bypassing a mountain road. Single-lane bridges In more rural parts of the country, mostly in the glacial plains of the south and the Eastfjords, 32 single-lane bridges exist on the Ring Road. Dating back to the original construction of the road in the 1970s, they are sometimes constructed of wood or steel. Vehicles who approach the bridge first have the right of way. These are often narrow and long, making passing difficult, especially when there is high traffic. Non-locals, unaware of the rules of single-lane bridges, have ended in head-on and serious collisions using these bridges. Considered a major safety issue, the Icelandic Road Administration aims to rebuild/upgrade all bridges on the ring road to modern 2 lane standards. Single lane bridges were reduced from around 60 in 2010, to 32 in 2020. In the next 5 years, a further 14 one-lane bridges are to be rebuilt, mostly along the south coast. Driving in winter Route 1 has the highest priority for snow removal from the Icelandic Road Administration and is serviced 7 days a week during the winter, with teams keeping the road open as weather allows. Conditions are monitored 24/7 and relayed to the public through their website and telephone helpline. During extreme weather it may take hours until the weather calms down to open the road, or for maintenance teams to clear the road of snow after major snowfalls. A few major mountain passes prone to closure in heavily trafficked parts of the ring road: Hellisheiði, between Reykjavík and Hveragerði Holtavörðuheði, between Borganes and Staðarskáli (on the Reykjavík to Akureyri route) Vatnsskarð, between Blönduós and Varmahlíð (on the Reykjavík to Akureyri route) Öxnadalsheiði, between Varmahlíð and Akureyri (on the Reykjavík to Akureyri route) Biskupsháls, between Akureyri and Egilsstaðir Winter closures