Aarhus gets a two-kilometer tunnel under the city

A tunnel that will shield Aarhus residents from the heavy traffic between the port and the motorway has been approved by the Danish Parliament.

The Danish Parliament has passed a bill that will kick off the construction of a nearly two-kilometer-long road tunnel under Marselis Boulevard in Aarhus.

This is stated by the Ministry of Transport in a press release.

The tunnel makes it possible to carry heavy traffic from the highway to the Port of Aarhus, Denmark’s largest container port, under the city.

This provides a more direct road connection for traffic and less traffic noise, the announcement says.

“With the Marselis Tunnel, traffic between the port and the motorway network will have a good, fast connection, and the people of Aarhus will have less traffic through the city and urban space that they can make their own,” says Minister of Transport Thomas Danielsen (V).

The Danish Road Directorate has previously calculated that an average of approximately 3,000 trucks and semi-trailers travel on the route per day.

Long awaited

The tunnel under Marselis Boulevard has been on the agenda for several years.

In 2021, the project was given the green light in connection with an agreement that allocated 161 billion kroner for future infrastructure projects.

In 2024, according to local media Din Avis Aarhus, it was estimated that the tunnel under Marselis Boulevard would cost 4.1 billion kroner.

In the Danish Business Transport industry organization, industry director Jesper Kronborg calls the adoption of the project “good news”.

“It will be important for the infrastructure around Aarhus and will benefit both citizens and businesses,” reads a comment.

The Confederation of Danish Industry is also pleased with the decision.

The tunnel ensures the handling of large truck transports that will arrive within the foreseeable future, says Mona Hyldgaard Møller, secretariat manager for Danish shipping & port companies, which is part of DI.

Construction work is expected to begin in 2028. The tunnel is expected to open to traffic in 2035.

ritzau