A project to build a new 1.4km long road tunnel that will connect two neighbourhoods in Copenhagen, Denmark, broke ground last week (11 May).
The Nordhavn Tunnel project entails a new 1.4km tunnel that will be built below the Svanemølle Bay and the construction of a replacement harbour for approximately 600 boats in Færgehavn Nord.
The tunnel will be built on behalf of Copenhagen Municipality, which is also responsible for financing the project together with By & Havn and the future company for Lynetteholmen.
The tunnel is set to improve access from the centre of Copenhagen to the Nordhavn neighbourhood, a rapidly developing 200ha former industrial shipyard on the city’s northern edge.
With almost all preliminary work completed, construction on the tunnel has now started.
Nordhavn is expected to eventually be home to 40,000 people, which will lead to a need for more roads to and from Nordhavn.
Vejdirektoratet, the Danish Road Directorate, was tasked with investigating, designing, and constructing the tunnel in 2014. The Danish Parliament approved the construction of the Nordhavn Tunnel in 2019.
A joint venture between the Belgian-French construction group Besix and Danish construction and civil engineering company MT Højgaard has been appointed to as the project’s main contractor.
Before commencing the actual tunnel work, the Danish Road Directorate will construct a temporary replacement habour at Færgehavn Nord as part of the project.
About half of the approximately 1,500 boats in Svanemølle Havn will be moved to this temporary harbour while the tunnelling takes place below Svanemøllebugten.
At a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of tunnelling operations last week, mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen said: “The Nordhavn Tunnel will greatly benefit Copenhagen residents and contribute to the expansion of Nordhavn as a thriving neighbourhood with thousands of residents and jobs.
“It will connect the new neighbourhood to the rest of the city and alleviate heavy traffic in Østerbro.
“Additionally, the tunnel will pave the way for a future Eastern Ring Road, which will reduce traffic congestion in the city centre and improve air quality for Copenhagen residents.”
The budget of the entire project is £400M (DKK3.4bn) and the tunnel should be ready for traffic in summer 2027.
Read next: HS2 supersizes offsite manufacturing for Kent Viaduct, hails a ‘major step forward’
Are you a building professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.
