Arctic Ocean Highway German troops. After the war, Finland ceded the Petsamo area to the Soviet Union and Finland's access to the Arctic Ocean was lost. The Arctic Ocean Highway became a part of the new national road 4. Instead of Petsamo, it headed for Utsjoki and the Norwegian border by the western side of the Lake Inari. Arctic Ocean Highway Arctic Ocean Highway (, , ) was a 531 kilometre-long highway in Lapland, Finland connecting the town of Rovaniemi to the port of Liinakhamari by the Pechenga Bay of the Barents Sea. It was opened in 1931 as the first highway in
Arctic Circle (organization) issues facing the Arctic as a result of climate change and melting sea ice—such as oil and gas exploration, environmental concerns, national security, and the effects on indigenous populations—as well as the growing international interest in the region. With the opening of shipping lanes and other economic activity in the Arctic, the organization says, the region "is moving to center stage and is playing a significant role in issues such as globalization, economic development, energy exploration, environmental protection and international security." The Arctic Circle held its first open assembly October 12–14, 2013, in Reykjavík, Iceland, at the Harpa Reykjavík Concert