If you're driving into Reykjavik from Keflavík over the next few nights, plan for a detour. Iceland's main airport road, Reykjanesbraut, is closed to northbound traffic overnight due to milling and paving work.
The closures run from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. tonight and tomorrow night, and again overnight into Monday and Tuesday. The affected stretch is the northbound lanes between Kaplakriki and Kauptún — the approach into the capital area most visitors use when arriving from Keflavík International Airport or staying in towns like Hafnarfjörður and Mosfellsbær.
The Capital Area Police announced the works, so expect signage and diversions in place during the closed hours. Daytime driving is unaffected; if you land in the morning or afternoon, you'll notice nothing. The disruption only bites for late-night arrivals and early departures — a common enough scenario in summer, when Iceland's long daylight hours tempt travellers into red-eye schedules.
For anyone picking up a hire car at night, the simplest move is to follow the official diversion signs rather than relying on your satnav updating instantly. Allow a bit of extra time, especially if you're heading to accommodation on the north side of the capital. Alternatively, the old road via Hafnarfjörður often serves as the natural fallback route when Reykjanesbraut is disrupted, though exact diversion routes will be signed.
It's a minor inconvenience in the scheme of things — Iceland roadworks move fast — but worth knowing about if your itinerary has a midnight airport run this week. Flyers on early morning departures should build in extra buffer time to reach Keflavík, as the return southbound lanes remain open but traffic patterns around the works can slow things down regardless.
Check road.is or local traffic announcements before setting out for the latest status.
Via Iceland Monitor.
