The road

Since Kangerlussuaq’s reincorporation into the Municipality in 2002, Sisimiut Municipality has worked on realizing a new road between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq.

How long will the road be?
As the crow flies, the stretch between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq is 128 km, but since the road will curve based on the landscape, the planned road will be around 170 km long. However, the first 15 km from Kangerlussuaq via Kangerlussuaq Harbour out to Kellyville is already laid, making the remainder a 155 km stretch of new road.

Why is it needed?
In 2003, Sisimiut Municipality published an impact assessment of benefits and drawbacks of the planned road. Overall, this analysis concluded that:

• A road will be socio-economically profitable for Greenlandic society
• A road would have major benefits for the entire country
• A road would increase the flexibility, availability and regularity of Greenlandic traffic, as well as lower costs
• A road would be the missing link between the internal coastal shipping and external air traffic in Greenland
• A road would offer more tourists the option of getting around Greenland cheaply and flexibly
• A road would mean cheaper air freight imports in Greenlandic shops
• A road would open up commercial development in Sisimiut and Maniitsoq Municipalities, especially with regard to fresh fish, minerals and hydropower, as well as pure ice and water
• A road would link the town of Sisimiut and the villages Kangerlussuaq and Sarfannguit together
• A road would mean less polluting transport than under the current transport infrastructure
• A road was socio-economically profitable already in the 1960s

Click here to download the assessment (in Danish only)

Surveys support the road
Since the assessment was made a number of surveys have been performed which support its conclusions, and also indicate that the road can be sited along different tracks, but one in particular is preferable.

These surveys were undertaken in cooperation with Greenland’s Home Rule and private consultants, as well as the Centre for Arctic Technology (ARTEK).

Sisimiut Municipality is also taking part in the EU ROADEX-project, and in March 2007 ARTEK and ROADEX organized an international conference on Arctic Roads with 100 participants from the entire Arctic region.

Read more
You can read more about the surveys undertaken, download the relevant reports and generally learn more about Arctic roads by clicking on the following links: