Denmark’s largest noise reduction project delayed by general election

A major plan to reduce traffic noise and improve traffic flow on one of Denmark’s busiest motorways has been postponed due to the upcoming general election, reports DR.

The project, described by Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen (Venstre) as “the largest noise reduction effort in Danish history,” targets Motorring 3, a heavily congested highway west of Copenhagen used by 130,000 vehicles daily. Around 29,000 nearby homes currently exceed official noise pollution limits.

The proposal includes lowering the speed limit from 110 km/h to 90 km/h, installing noise-reducing asphalt, and converting the emergency lane into an additional traffic lane to ease congestion. However, critics warn the extra lane could offset noise reductions.

“The question is whether this just becomes a zero-sum game when you add another lane,” said Laust Søndergaard, a Gladsaxe resident living 200 meters from the motorway. Søndergaard and others, including Gladsaxe Mayor Serdal Benli (SF), argue the plan is a step forward but not a complete solution.

Due to the election, the proposal must be resubmitted to the infrastructure agreement negotiating committee after the vote. Danielsen vowed to push the project forward regardless of the election outcome, citing its importance for affected municipalities.

“I’ll present this to whichever transport minister takes office—even if it’s not me—because it will make a real difference,” he said.

The motorway, which cuts through multiple municipalities, has long been a source of noise complaints, with residents and local officials pressing for solutions beyond incremental measures.