newstodate.aero
Jun 12, 2020 (newstodate): Plans for a road connecting Sisimiut on Greenland's east coast with the international airport at Kangerlussuaq/Sdr Stromfjord have been a topic for more than 20 years.
Now vision is turning into reality as the government has approved the environmental report allowing for start of detailed planning and construction of the first of two phases slated for commissioning by September 2021, and to be followed by the planning and construction of the final part into Kangerlussuaq.
-The projected road will allow Sisimiut's exporters of fresh fish to truck shipments into Kangerlussuaq/Sdr Stromfjord Airport for flights to European and other markets. Trucking will take 2.5-3 hours while exporters in the Sisimiut region are now fully incapable of taking their shipments by air to outside consumer markets, relying on exports of frozen fish by sea transportation instead, newstodate reported on October 15, 2003.
-In addition, the proposed road will also facilitate easier imports of goods from Denmark and other markets, and better access to air transportation will have a huge impact on Greenland's domestic and international interface as well.
While the road now seems to become a reality, the timing seems a bit odd as the airport infrastructure of Greenland is changing dramatically with the opening of new Transatlantic airports at Nuuk and Ilulissat by 2023, shifting the passenger traffic away from Kangerlussuaq Airport.
In September 2019 an agreement was inked between the governments of Denmark and Greenland to the effect that Kangerlussuaq Airport will remain in service, with the Danish Ministry of Defense to fund the operation.
To secure the future of Kangerlussuaq in the longer term will require massive maintenance and reconstruction works on the airport's runway that is impacted by changes in the permafrost conditions causing cracks in the runway surface.
Besides, Kangerlusssuaq Airport may receive direct US investments reflecting its importance for US military positioning in the Arctic region that is gaining importance as more maritime lanes are opening while the region's strategic position is attracting increased attention from many sides.
Now vision is turning into reality as the government has approved the environmental report allowing for start of detailed planning and construction of the first of two phases slated for commissioning by September 2021, and to be followed by the planning and construction of the final part into Kangerlussuaq.
-The projected road will allow Sisimiut's exporters of fresh fish to truck shipments into Kangerlussuaq/Sdr Stromfjord Airport for flights to European and other markets. Trucking will take 2.5-3 hours while exporters in the Sisimiut region are now fully incapable of taking their shipments by air to outside consumer markets, relying on exports of frozen fish by sea transportation instead, newstodate reported on October 15, 2003.
-In addition, the proposed road will also facilitate easier imports of goods from Denmark and other markets, and better access to air transportation will have a huge impact on Greenland's domestic and international interface as well.
While the road now seems to become a reality, the timing seems a bit odd as the airport infrastructure of Greenland is changing dramatically with the opening of new Transatlantic airports at Nuuk and Ilulissat by 2023, shifting the passenger traffic away from Kangerlussuaq Airport.
In September 2019 an agreement was inked between the governments of Denmark and Greenland to the effect that Kangerlussuaq Airport will remain in service, with the Danish Ministry of Defense to fund the operation.
To secure the future of Kangerlussuaq in the longer term will require massive maintenance and reconstruction works on the airport's runway that is impacted by changes in the permafrost conditions causing cracks in the runway surface.
Besides, Kangerlusssuaq Airport may receive direct US investments reflecting its importance for US military positioning in the Arctic region that is gaining importance as more maritime lanes are opening while the region's strategic position is attracting increased attention from many sides.