Transport, congestion and the greening of urban life

Image: Eastern Ring Road, courtesy of Arup

An Eastern Ring Road constructed as an immersed tunnel along the eastern coast of Amager, connecting Nordhavn in the north to the Øresund Motorway in the south, is projected to reduce traffic in central Copenhagen by 14% by 2050. It will remove nearly one in four trucks from Rådhuspladsen and save road users more than 4 million hours annually in traffic, says infrastructure firm, Sund and Baelt.

It says:

'New traffic model calculations indicate that the Eastern Ring Road will divert traffic away from the central parts of Copenhagen while also serving new urban areas in the Eastern Harbour and improve access to the Øresund Link. 

The traffic model calculations are part of the environmental impact assessment of the Eastern Ring Road, currently being conducted by Sund & Bælt. These calculations illustrate the impact the Eastern Ring Road will have on traffic compared to a scenario without it. The calculations are based on weekday traffic patterns for the years 2035, 2040, 2050, and 2070. 

'The calculations show that by 2050, over 87,000 daily road users will utilize the Eastern Ring Road. This will significantly impact traffic, easing congestion in most of the municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, as well as in Gladsaxe, Rødovre, Hvidovre, and Herlev. Central Copenhagen will see a 14% reduction in traffic, while traffic on Knippelsbro will decrease by 25%, and both Langebro and H.C. Andersens Boulevard will experience a 15% reduction. 

'According to the calculations, truck traffic in Copenhagen will also decrease if the Eastern Ring Road is constructed. By 2050, there will be 18% fewer trucks in central Copenhagen compared to a scenario without Eastern Ringroad. H.C. Andersens Boulevard near Rådhuspladsen will experience a 24% reduction in truck traffic, with other areas like Amager Strandvej seeing a 36% decrease. 

'The changes in traffic patterns resulting from the Eastern Ring Road will lead to significant time savings for road users in Copenhagen. A rush-hour trip from Tårnby to Gentofte, for example, will be 10 to 20 minutes shorter, while a journey from Lyngby to Amager Strandpark will take 5 to 10 minutes less. The connection will also facilitate commuting between Denmark and Sweden, reducing travel time from the Øresund Link to Nordhavn by 20 to 30 minutes. 

'Some roads will experience increased traffic due to higher volumes on access routes to the Eastern Ring Road. This is particularly true for the Helsingør Motorway, Nordhavnsvej, and the Nordhavn Tunnel. 

'Traffic on the innermost section of the Helsingør Motorway is expected to rise by 28% on an average weekday in 2050, while traffic on Nordhavnsvej is projected to double. Traffic in the Nordhavn Tunnel will quadruple if the Eastern Ring Road is constructed. This may lead to lower speeds and increased travel times on these routes, but overall, the time savings for road users in the capital region are estimated at over 4 million hours annually. 

'This will also benefit road users on the Motorring 3, the Amager Motorway, and the western section of the Øresund Motorway, which are expected to see traffic reductions of 3%, 6%, and 7%, respectively. 

'In addition to these effects, the full Eastern Ring Road is expected to strengthen integration within the Øresund Region, as traffic to the Øresund Link is anticipated to increase by 4%. 

'The environmental impact assessment of the Eastern Ring Road is expected to be completed in 2026, after which political decisions can be made regarding the project. 

'Ahead of the traffic model calculations, Sund & Bælt established a working group comprised of external experts and stakeholders from DTU, CONCITO, the Confederation of Danish Industry, Copenhagen Municipality, By & Havn, Copenhagen Airport, Metroselskabet, Refshaleøens Ejendomsselskab, the Danish Road Directorate, and the Ministry of Transport. This group collaborated with Sund & Bælt to define the assumptions underlying the traffic impact calculations for the Eastern Ring Road. 

'The traffic model calculations represent a qualified estimate of future traffic patterns based on the assumptions established prior to the analysis. Calculations have been made for the years 2035, 2040, 2050, and 2070. The results illustrate the difference in traffic developments with and without the Eastern Ring Road in these years. 

The calculations cover the full Eastern Ring Road, stretching from the Helsingør Motorway and Nordhavn in the north to the Øresund Motorway in the south. Calculations for the first phase of the Eastern Ring Road, from Nordhavn to Lynetteholm, are currently underway and are expected to be published in the second half of 2025.' 

Image: The project connects Copenhagen’s northern and southern motorway networks. © Sund & Bælt

Contributions from Arup and COWI

Specialists from Arup and COWI are collaborating to design and plan this major transport asset, which represents a significant investment in Copenhagen’s infrastructure, reflecting Denmark’s commitment to sustainable and efficient urban transportation solutions.

Arup states:

'CAJV supported Sund & Bælt with organising innovation workshops over the past year, bringing together contractors, academia, and NGOs to help design a transport link which is good for society and the environment in the long-term. These workshops involved 55 experts from around 30 companies and other organisations who identified about 40 initiatives for reducing carbon emissions related to materials and construction activity, and for enhancing biodiversity and other environmental features.

'Our specialists collected and analysed data and assessed each initiative for carbon saving potential, level of technical readiness, scalability, possible additional costs, and potential risks. For the cases that additional costs may be involved, CAJV has developed a method to rank initiatives according to the ratio of additional carbon savings to associated costs. This approach has enabled us to create a priority list of recommended initiatives for the design and construction planning of the Eastern Ring Road.

'With today’s conventional choice of materials, the carbon emissions from concrete, in particular cement, and steel would have accounted for more than half of the total carbon footprint of the project. A large number of the initiatives have accordingly focused on ways to reduce both the quantities and emissions of these materials.

'Another large portion of the carbon footprint comes from energy use during construction transport and site activities. Measures for decarbonisation include land-based and marine construction through electric and hybrid machinery, use of hybrid ships and alternative marine fuels, as well as measures to ensure adequate and effective electrical power supply for the land-based and marine construction plant.

'Creating initiatives to protect the environment is also beneficial for biodiversity. For example, adopting hybrid ships can reduce underwater noise, which negatively affects marine life and is often linked to decreased species diversity.

'The Arup and COWI JV has developed a digital Life Cycle Assessment tool to manage carbon emissions during the design phase of the Eastern Ring Road tunnel. Advising Sund & Bælt on the choice of building materials such as different types of concrete, the tool showcases the CO₂ saving potential for different material options.

'A 3D BIM model of the project was used to automate the assessment of materials and their properties, including emissions calculations and the verification of material properties against project specifications.

'Major infrastructure projects provide an arena for innovation where design teams can test and deliver novel solutions and technologies to support global carbon neutrality objectives, and grapple with climate change.

The Eastern Ring Road is one of a few projects to date that integrates sustainability at the very beginning of the design process. Establishing sustainability as one of the key design criteria means future large-scale infrastructure can progressively decrease its contributions to countries' carbon emissions, while promoting environmentally responsible practices.'

Image below: Traffic flowing past Rådhuspladsen, Copenhagen - courtesy Future Cities Forum

Image below: cycling through Copenhagen's streets, helped by the city's flat gradient and sustainable transport measures.

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  Image: One of the first urban life streets in Nørrebro, which was inaugurated earlier this year, courtesy of Lars Andreasen / Municipality of Copenhagen

The Municipality of Copenhagen has released news that its urban life street model is to be extended in the city.

It says:

'Urban life streets are an opportunity for local residents to get support to develop their street with, for example, plant beds, recreational opportunities and less physical measures that can dampen traffic.

'So far, urban life streets have been established in Ægirsgade and Thorsgade/Ydunsgade in Nørrebro, among other places. Now, in connection with the third round of ideas, six more projects have been identified that can be established.

These are urban life streets in Dronningensgade in Christianshavn, Frejasgade and Heimdalsgade in Nørrebro, Teglværksgade in Østerbro and Tullinsgade and Valdemarsgade in Vesterbro.

'Thirty-thre project ideas have been submitted in this round, and a total of 167 applications have been submitted to the urban life pools.

Mayor of Climate, Environment and Technology Line Barfod is pleased that so many Copenhageners have wanted to contribute:

"The city life streets are a good example of how Copenhageners can make a direct and very noticeable mark on their area and their city – in collaboration with the municipality. It gives a sense of co-ownership, it creates community, and we also get a calmer and greener city," she says.

SF has worked with urban life streets for many years, and member of the City Council Astrid Aller is also enthusiastic about the fact that more urban life streets are now being established in Copenhagen:

"Every time we adopt a new urban life street, it is a dream come true - because behind the street are the neighbors who have come together and have wanted their particular street to have plants and meeting places. The fact that so many applications have come in again just underlines that the city needs more green streets - and SF is continuing to work for them," she says.

The six new urban life streets were approved at the meeting of the Climate, Environment and Technology Committee recently. The work to establish the six new urban life streets is expected to start in the spring of 2027. 

The Municipality of Copenhagen describes an urban life streets as:

' a local street where initiatives have been incorporated that increase the opportunities for socializing, staying and activity. This is typically done in continuation of traffic-calming measures and increased vegetation that makes the street more inviting.

'Bylivsgadepuljen supports citizens in Copenhagen who want to create more opportunities for living as well as greener and more traffic-reduced streets. The pool's projects are usually smaller than the municipality's other construction projects, and there may therefore be a certain degree of temporary solutions, for example planters, where it is not possible to dig in the way.'