Copenhagen bridges in dire need of overhaul

Local politicians in the capital haven’t done much to repair the city’s many bridges over the past 30-40 years

Ongoing bridge-maintenance projects have indicated that many of Copenhagen’s bridges are far more worn-down than initially feared and will result in an extra bill of 225 million kroner, according to Ingeniøren newspaper.

Local politicians in the capital haven’t done much to repair the city’s many bridges over the past 30-40 years, and the cost to repair them will be much higher than was estimated in 2012.

“Because we haven’t renovated the bridges for 30-40 years, we and our advisors had no experience with the real price levels in Copenhagen when we made our evaluations in 2012,” Janus Christoffersen, a spokesperson for the City Council, told Ingeniøren.

The city estimated in 2012 that 394 million kroner was needed to renovate the city’s bridges, but in a report for the Technical and Environmental Committee last month, the amount was estimated to be 619 million kroner.

READ MORE: Less vehicles using the Øresund Bridge

Starting in 2016
The bridge across Ryvangs Allé by Svanemøllen station was torn down a few weeks ago after it was revealed that its damages were so significant that it would make more sense to build a new bridge.

The City Council used the standard prices from the road authorities, Vejdirektoratet, to ascertain the renovation expenses, but they don’t work in the capital.

“There are loads of chords in Copenhagen that have to be moved or rerouted when renovating bridges,” Christoffersen said. “Furthermore, there are tougher demands when rerouting traffic in areas that we just can’t close off. And many bridges cross railways or water, which makes it more expensive.”

Local politicians in Copenhagen have set aside 176 million kroner for the reparations thus far. Work should begin on the hardest-hit bridges in 2016. 

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