Amager gridlock leaves drivers stranded for hours in Copenhagen traffic chaos

A 7-kilometre trip from Amagercentret to Østerbro took one Copenhagen driver 90 minutes on Tuesday evening, as roadworks and heavy congestion turned Amager into a near-standstill, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

Malthe Rubæk Bøggild, who commutes daily from Østerbro to a shipyard on Refshaleøen, described the scene as “completely stationary,” with frustrated passengers abandoning taxis to walk into the city. “Some drivers even cut onto the pavement 200 metres before their turn,” he said. “It wasn’t safe at all.”

By Wednesday, navigation apps routed Bøggild on a 30-kilometre detour via Glostrup to avoid the worst delays. Katrine Tholstrup, a Dragør resident, saw her usual 35-minute commute to Vesterbro stretch to 80 minutes. “I’ve never seen traffic this bad unless there’s been a major accident,” she said. “It’s poorly planned to have so much roadwork at once.”

Tholstrup warned she may need to involve her employer if delays persist, as childcare pickup times conflict with her work schedule. “I can’t manage both if traffic stays this bad,” she said.

Dragør mayor Kenneth Gøtterup (Conservative) has opened talks with counterparts in Tårnby and Copenhagen to address the chaos, which stems from multiple construction projects, including a motorway expansion.

Since Tuesday, Amager has faced severe congestion, with 38 drivers fined for violations during the gridlock. A local politician has demanded an official explanation for the disruption.