Proposal Submitted To Make Developments At The Eruption Site

Plans to improve infrastructure in the area surrounding the Geldingadalur eruption have been submitted to the Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The proposed plans consist of creating a better car park, a service centre and having information for tourists to learn more about the area.

This is being done as it is predicted that when tourists start flooding back to Iceland, many of them will make their way to the volcano.

Planning ahead

The memorandum states: “Although it can certainly be expected that there will be more interest if the eruption continues, the area will remain an interesting destination even if the eruption ceases. There are plans for parking there to take about 500 cars at a time, in addition to being able to take buses in parking spaces. A fee will be charged for access to car parks. There will be toilet facilities for guests by the car park.”

There is also mentions of having an area where helicopters can land safely, both for the rescue team and for tourist expeditions.

But wait, there’s more

In the memorandum, it also states that the town of Grindavík is exploring the necessary steps to create a visitor centre with special emphasis on the eruption site. The aim is to utilize facilities in Kvikan, which is the cultural centre of Grindavík owned by the municipality.

There area also discussions about whether a ranger on site will be needed, to ensure the safety of all those who visit. The memorandum reads: “It is important to ensure supervision of access, safety of guests and the provision of information. The group’s proposal is to hire a ranger to carry out some of the tasks that the response parties have been carrying out, with supervision and information, but at the same time to call on the assistance of the response parties if necessary.”

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