After-hours construction at another two Metro construction sites will come to halt after two more noise complaints were submitted before yesterday's filing deadline. The two Metro sites that will now have to end construction at 6pm are located near Central Station and the site on Søndre Boulevard, in the Vesterbro district.
Metroselskabet, which operates the Metro, had begun round-the-clock construction at a number of sites in order to allow it to meet its deadline for completion of the 17-station City Ring line in 2018.
Noise complaints had previously halted after-hours work the at the Øster Søgade site in the Østerbro district and near Marmorkirken (Frederik’s Church). At both of those sites, construction must come to an end at 10pm each day.
Henrik Plougmann Olsen, the head of Metroselskabet was disappointed that single complaints could influence the construction of a major infrastructure project.
“A single complaint can, in reality, change the entire planning phase of construction,” Olsen told Politiken newspaper. “It’s important to find a balance between catering to the neighbours, who should be protected, and construction of the City Ring, which needs to be finished. Obviously, the construction process will be quite random if every complaint has an affect.”
If a complaint is submitted to Natur- og Miljøklagenævnet, the environment appeals board, after-hours work must be stopped while it is being evaluated. The procedure can take up to six months.
Metroselskabet said halting night work will likely delay the project by at least six months and add 500 million kroner to the project's 22 billion kroner price tag.
Metroselskabet held a meeting on Sunday with people who live near construction sites to clear up any misunderstandings about the construction. That resulted in one complaint being retracted, but other neighbours then lodged new complaints, forcing the night-work stoppage.
“The meeting certainly was not wasted,” Olsen said. “It was good to clear up some of the misunderstandings and it is positive that they have retracted their complaint. We would like to meet with the other neighbours and clear up misunderstandings.”
An estimated 50 residential buildings containing up to 1,000 flats are estimated to suffer from noise levels exceeding 55 decibels (dB). Noise in six buildings exceeds 65dB. Residents are eligible for compensation if evening work exceeds 60dB or if night work exceeds 55dB. During the daytime, noise may not exceed 70dB.
