Comments on the proposed amendment to the local plan regarding the Marseli Tunnel
The following has been submitted to Aarhus City Council as an objection to the proposal for a tunnel beneath Marselis Boulevard:
Comments on the Proposal for Addendum No. 111 to the 2001 Municipal Plan
Improved road link to Aarhus Harbour
Overall, this is a truly thorough piece of investigative work, and the report appears comprehensive in all essential areas.
I would like to put forward two suggestions for adjustments in relation to the final planning.
Extension of Værkmestergade
The report has already taken into account an extension of Værkmestergade to Åhavevej/Marselis Boulevard. The planning outlines both a tunneled route to a junction west of the portal and a grade-separated junction east of the portal.
I hereby propose that consideration be given to whether an extension of Værkmestergade can be carried through to Christian X’s Vej, where it passes under Skanderborgvej. Such a solution appears feasible by having the road follow the Odderbanen railway line, a line which could potentially be decommissioned following the completion of the light rail project, with services to Odder on the central sections expected to be rerouted via Bruuns Bro, Ingerslevs Boulevard and Skanderborgvej.
The junction of Værkmestergade with Christian X’s Vej at this point will link all southern approach roads to the town centre via Værkmestergade. This should therefore significantly relieve traffic on Skanderborgvej and Frederiks Allé. Such relief would not necessarily be achieved to the same extent if Værkmestergade were only connected to Åhavevej.
North/south-bound railway shunt
Figure 10.5 in the main report outlines the route of a shunt between the southern and northern main lines. The shunt is described as a potential means of relieving pressure on Aarhus H in connection with the high-frequency freight train solution or the shuttle train solution.
I hereby propose that this option be retained in connection with the detailed planning of the project concerning the railway’s crossing of Åhavevej.
Such a shunt would relieve pressure on Aarhus H, particularly from freight trains, and it would thus be possible in the long term to reallocate further freight-handling areas at Aarhus H for urban development or other purposes.
Furthermore, a direct link between the northbound and southbound tracks will increase capacity towards the transport centre in Årslev, which may contribute to a higher proportion of rail-borne freight, both to the transport centre itself and to Dansk Supermarked’s future warehouse in the area.
Finally, in connection with the light rail scheme, there are proposals to construct a link between the Grenå Line and the northern main line. Land has been set aside for this link in the Lisbjerg master plan. The link is necessary to make the section of the Grenå Line running alongside Aarhus Harbour safer, and is likely a prerequisite for effectively reducing the barrier effect between the harbour and the city. The link will make it possible to route freight transport to Grenå Harbour bypassing Aarhus, so that the line along the harbour can be downgraded to a light rail line. Should this link be established, the ‘sack’ structure at Aarhus H will also constitute a bottleneck for freight trains here. A bottleneck that can be completely eliminated by such a shunt.