Construction of Sundabraut is assessed to have considerable negative impacts during operation on air quality, landscape and visual character, sediment transport, currents, wave climate, and natural monuments/protected areas.
By contrast, Sundabraut is expected to have substantial or significant positive effects on traffic safety due to shorter travel times and reduced pressure on other transport infrastructure.
The impacts are considered substantial in the case of a tunnel under Kleppsvík, but markedly positive in the case of a bridge.
These findings appear in the Environmental Impact Assessment report published by the National Planning Agency in the public consultation portal yesterday.
The report notes that a bridge could accommodate pedestrian and cycle paths alongside the carriageways and offers greater opportunities for public-transport services than a tunnel.
Climate impacts: negative during construction
According to the report, Sundabraut’s effects during operation are assessed as positive for climate, air quality, outdoor recreation, and settlement/demographic development.
Long-term climate effects are rated as negligible-positive for a tunnel (Sundagöng) and considerable-positive for a bridge (Sundabrú), owing to a reduction in vehicle-kilometres travelled.
During construction, however, climate impacts are assessed as considerably negative, driven chiefly by the production and sourcing of materials and the emissions from construction equipment—particularly in the tunnel option.
Traffic and road-safety, climate, acoustics (noise), and birdlife impacts are all assessed as negative during the construction phase. For the operational phase, noise impacts are judged negligibly positive for residents in Laugardalur and negligibly negative for residents in Grafarvogur, assuming mitigation measures are implemented.
Impacts on marine life unclear
It is uncertain what effects Sundabraut will have on the safety of the Gufunes disposal mounds, on currents, wave climate, sediment transport, fish and other marine life, water bodies, and birdlife.
“Likely impacts are assessed as negligible to somewhat negative, with potentially considerable negative effects on currents, wave climate, and sediment transport in Leiruvogur, and considerable negative effects on birdlife at Geldinganes and in Leiruvogur,” the report states.
Sundabraut will cross Kleppsvík, Eiðsvík, Leiruvogur, and Kollafjörður. It has not been decided whether Kleppsvík will be crossed by tunnel or bridge.
Source: mbl.is
