Metro construction delays could cost 1bn kr

Company behind the Metro expansion warns of steep costs associated with possible half-year delays and urges reconsideration

Complaints to the nature and environment appeals board, Natur- og Miljøklagenævnet, have resulted in the end of night construction at the Metro site at Øster Søgade in the Østerbro district.

Metroselskabet, the company that operates the Metro, warns of delays to City Ring construction that could cost close to one billion kroner after the second Metro site in a week was forced to halt night work.

”Obviously, the City Ring is in a very difficult and risk-laden situation now,” Henrik Plougmann Olsen, the head of Metroselskabet, told Berlingske newspaper. “The kinds of delays we are now facing can potentially generate some considerable costs because construction risks being completed later than expected.”

It was just a week ago that Metroselskabet was forced to stop construction at their site at Copenhagen’s Marmorkirken (Frederik’s Church) after 6pm due to noise complaints.

As it stands, the processing of the complaints by Natur- og Miljøklagenævnet could take up to six months, and all night work at the involved sites will be suspended.

“We have previously estimated that if we are delayed by a year, it will cost an extra 1.2 to 1.5 billion kroner. Six-month delays because of the processing times will probably result in half that amount,” Olsen said.

But the delays and resulting costs could rise even further.

Neighbours to Metro construction sites have the possibility to lodge further complaints until Monday, August 12. Additional complaints could further delay the construction plans.

Olsen argued that the delaying effects of the complaints were not part of the original construction framework given to Metroselskabet by the City Council and the company has therefore not planned for such a scenario. He urged the complaints tribunal to also consider the project and not just the neighbours.

“We're talking about a 22 billion kroner construction project and such a massive undertaking will always irk some affected neighbours,” Olsen maintained. “On the other hand, the City Ring will move 230,000 passengers every day, so they should consider both parties during this phase of the construction process.”

Olsen said he believed that his company has shown great understanding for the plight of its site neighbours and has made considerable efforts to limit inconveniences at their building sites. 

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs