The company behind Copenhagen’s Metro and construction of the City Ring extension received support last Thursday from a majority on the City Council to extend working hours at construction sites around the city.

Representatives from Socialdemokraterne, Socialistisk Folkeparti, Enhedslisten, Radikale, Venstre and Liberal Alliance have all signed off on an agreement to extend the hours.

Included in the agreement with Metroselskabet were guarantees for around the clock environmental monitoring of construction sites, better noise measurement and keeping residents better informed. The company will also set aside a fund of at least 20 million kroner to assist neighbours with, among other things, hotel stays for those most battered by the noise of continuous construction.

Mayor Frank Jensen (Socialdemokraterne) said the agreement was made to reduce costs and delays.

“By extending the working hours, I have a very clear expectation that the Metro will be completed economically and on time,” Jensen told Politiken newspaper.

Representatives from Dansk Folkeparti and Konservative have yet to agree to the extended hours.

Dansk Folkeparti spokesperson Carl Christian Ebbesen said the party will wait until the matter comes up during today's City Council meeting today to make a final decision.

“We are going in with an open mind, but we have a number of questions we need answered before we can agree to the extension,” Ebbesen told Politiken.

Working hours would be extended at Metro’s other sites, allowing workers to stay on the job above ground from 7pm to 10pm at Trianglen, Rådhuspladsen and Gammel Strand. Underground work would also be extended.

Some have argued that the extension is illegal but the company said that without the extended working hours construction could be up to one year behind schedule at cost overruns of as much as 1.5 billion kroner.

The 17-station City Ring line is scheduled to open in 2018.