Lava has reached Grindavíkurvegur Road and the Blue Lagoon closed

Lava has reached Grindavíkurvegur Road just north of the Svartsengi defense walls. The gap that was in the walls has been filled.

This is stated in an announcement from the Icelandic Met Office.

It was reported this morning that lava would begin to flow over Grindavíkurvegur Road and that the Blue Lagoon had been closed.

The Blue Lagoon was closed this morning before the first visitors arrived when it was apparent that lava from the volcanic eruption in Sundhnúkagígar crater row would soon flow over Grindavíkurvegur Road.

Helga Árnadóttir, director of sales, operations, and services at the Blue Lagoon, said they decided to close the lagoon before the first visitors arrived, so there were no visitors in the lagoon when it was closed.

However, hotel guests and employees of the Blue Lagoon hotels were allowed to stay in the area until 11 o'clock am.

Lava flowing over the road

Hjördís Guðmundsdóttir, communications manager of the Civil Protection Agency, says that the gap in the defense wall was filled this morning when it was known that lava would likely flow over Grindavíkurvegur Road.

“It was something that was expected to happen,” she says.

Firefighters on standby in case of wildfires

When asked if the Civil Protection Department has a special response to this, Guðmundsdóttir said that representatives are in the area to monitor it.

“We are helping an operational board that has an action plan for this.”

In this case, she says, the risk of wildfires is higher.

“The local fire department is now on standby ready to shut down fires,” she says. She points out that wildfires are not new in these events that have taken place on Reykjanes peninsula.

In an announcement from the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, it is said that a lava pond broke this morning and subsequently lava flowed rapidly toward the road. It is also said that this is the third time that lava has flowed over the road in these areas.