Overview
As part of the green transport policy agreement of January 2009, it has been decided to conduct strategic analyses of the expansion options for public transport and annular connections in the Greater Copenhagen area.
The OECD has pointed out that the Greater Copenhagen area, compared to other large European cities, has a well-developed infrastructure as well as a high level of mobility and accessibility. With the prospect of continued growth in traffic volume, it is necessary to examine how the development of infrastructure can contribute to a continuous high level of mobility. Calculations show that tailbacks and congestions in the railway traffic alone have caused to socio-economic losses of billions of DKK.
In relation to the recent years’ agreements in the transport sector, it has been decided to expand the capacity on the large radial and ring roads. Additionally, a new motorway from Copenhagen to Frederikssund will be established. At the same time, public transport is undergoing notable development e.g. the new metro line ’Metro City Circle’ and a new railway from Copenhagen to Ringsted via Køge.
As part of the strategic analyses, two main development strategies for the ring road connections in the Greater Copenhagen area have been identified:
- Expansion of the western ring road connections by further upgrading the Ring 4 corridor or the establishment of an entirely new Ring 5 in the corridor between Køge and Helsingør.
- Establishment of a new eastern bypass connections/a tunnel under Copenhagen harbour.