30/05/2026
Selfoss bridge, 1944: outlived by a wooden cabin that’s still standing today!
🌉 The bridge that built a town!
In 1891, Iceland’s very first suspension bridge opened over the Ölfusá river. There was barely a town here yet — Selfoss literally grew up around it.
Then in 1944, after 53 years, two trucks crossed at the same time. The cables snapped. Down it went. 💀
Icelanders being Icelanders, they rebuilt it in about 5 months. That 1945 bridge? Still standing. Still working. Now juggling 14,500 cars a day — way more than it ever signed up for.
A brand-new bridge is finally on the way (2028). The old one’s earned its retirement.
👀 Bonus: the cabin built for the original bridge workers in 1890 is still here too — now a restaurant. Oldest building in town.
