Transport in Greenland
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The
Air transport
While
Greenland now has 18 airstrips, 14 of which are paved. Some are based on US airbases, but most are built by the Greenlandic government. All domestic flights are operated by
Icelandair flies from Reykjavík to Narsarsuaq. It offers also "day trips to the wilderness" from Reykjavík to Kulusuk on the east coast. Icelandair flies to Ittoqqortoormiit over[via?] Kulusuk once or twice a week throughout the year. Flights from Reykjavik are operated throughout the year. Also, year-round flights from Reykjavik to Ilulissat will be offered after April 2011.[needs update] From 2012 Air Greenland operates a route from Iqaluit in Canada to Nuuk during summer.
Air cargo is very important for Greenland. Most perishable foodstuff is imported from Denmark by air. It uses the Air Greenland Copenhagen–Kangerlussuaq passenger aircraft, and this is a reason why such a large aircraft is used.[clarification needed] The air containers are then transported to the other airports by small planes that can use the small runways. Some air cargo is transported by boat from Kangerlussuaq, but not in the winter when the Kangerlussuaq Fjord freezes (one of the reasons to build the Sisimiut–Kangerlussuaq road).
A state-owned firm called Kalaallit Airports is since 2017 tasked with operating and updating the airports in Nuuk and Ilulissat.[1] This process has been contentious as Chinese firms bid for the contract, with one Danish PM stating "We don't want a communist dictatorship in our backyard."[2]
Roads
There are no roads between settlements, only within them and around them. There are 150 km (90 mi) of roads in the whole country; 60 km (40 mi) of the roads are paved. The roads are primary or local roads, there are no highways in Greenland.
There is a 4.5 km long asphalt road between the towns of Ivittuut and Kangilinnguit.[3]
Speed limit ranges from 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) for local roads to 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) on primary roads.
Some farms in the south have fairly extensive very simple roads for all-terrain vehicles (not included in the above figures), used for sheep farming and hay collection. There are some other short simple gravel roads, such as that leading from the shore to hydropower plants.
A 170-kilometre-long (110 mi) road between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq was discussed for several years. In 2015 the cost of it (500 million Danish krone) caused it to be replanned as a much less costly one-lane road for off-road vehicles. It was built in 2021 and 2022, at a cost of 25 million DKK (€3M).[4][5] This road or wheel-track is of low quality and not included in the length of the road network.
Water transport
There are ports at Ilulissat, Kangerlussuaq (also known by its Danish name Søndre Strømfjord), Qaqortoq, Narsaq, Nuuk (Godthåb), Aasiaat and Sisimiut. Several other towns have also small ports. The main users of the harbors are Royal Arctic Line and Arctic Umiaq Line. Royal Arctic Line organises freight ships, for example container ships, with regular sailings from Denmark. Arctic Umiaq Line runs a passenger ship which also carries freight. The distance from Denmark to Nuuk by ship is 3,800 kilometres (2,400 mi/2,000 nmi/4 days at 20 knots), so more perishable foodstuff is imported by air.
There are no car ferries in or to Greenland. It is possible to transport cars as container freight with Royal Arctic Line (both domestic and from Denmark). Passengers must travel by another method. This is done mostly when moving or buying a car, not normally when travelling, as there is no large road network anywhere.
Many of the tourists to Greenland arrive by cruise ship.
Railways
Historically, special-purpose
- The Qoornoq X-press in the village of Qoornoq in the Nuuk fjord, . The 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) Qoornoq X-press was used for transporting fish from the harbour to scaffolds for drying.[7] The railway cars were only flatbed wagon cars with no locomotives to move them.[8] Built in 1955, the railway was abandoned shortly before the village around 1971.[9]
- Malmbjerg
- Mestersvig – likely for the local mines that existed in the 1950s and 1960s
- Julianehaab
- Ivigtut– likely for the local mine that once operated in the community
- Qutdligssat
- Maamorilik
References
- ^ "Greenland picks Denmark as airport project partner over Beijing". Reuters. 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ^ Simpson, John (2018-12-18). "Could Greenland become China's Arctic base?". BBC News. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ^ "Ivittuut-Kangilinnguit Road, the only paved road in Greenland". www.dangerousroads.org. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
- ^ "Historisk vejprojekt mellem Sisimiut og Kangerlussuaq undervejs" [Historic road project between Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq ongoing] (in Danish). Bygge- & Anlægsavisen. 2021-05-11. Retrieved 2022-04-10.
- ^ ATV-sporet mellem Kangerlussuaq og Sisimiut er færdig
- ^ "Narrow gauge railway on Greenland".
- ^ "Narrow gauge railway on Greenland". Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ^ "Narrow gauge railway on Greenland".
- ^ "Narrow gauge railway on Greenland".
External links
Media related to Transport in Greenland at Wikimedia Commons
Greenland travel guide from Wikivoyage