Road bridge over the Grenå railway line on Grenåvej
iThe level crossing between the Grenå railway line and Grenåvej is one of the busiest level crossings in the country.
There has therefore long been a desire to construct a grade-separated junction between the two, and Aarhus County consequently carried out an EIA in 2005. After some back-and-forth, the State and the Municipality decided in 2007 to build a road bridge over the railway line.
The history is a long one, but in brief, the key dates are as follows:
January 2005: The County and the Ministry of Transport agree to construct a grade-separated junction between the Grenå railway line and Grenåvej.
31 May 2006: The City Council adopts a recommendation that the project be carried out as a railway bridge.
22 August 2006: The Aarhus County Council adopts an amendment to the 2005 regional plan, paving the way for a road bridge.
Q4 2006: The county and the State enter into an agreement on joint funding of the project
19 December 2006: The local authority informs the Danish Transport Authority of the City Council’s decision and requests further information on the project’s status and progress.
21 December 2006: The Ministry of Transport and Energy replies that the project must be reviewed with a view to a political decision on its implementation.
29 December 2006: The County Mayor asks the Mayor to follow up to ensure that the Minister for Transport guarantees the project’s implementation.
1 January 2007: The county is abolished
17 January 2007: The Minister for Transport announces that the state now bears sole responsibility and that work is underway to establish a basis for a decision.
19 March 2007: The report has identified a new alternative option for a cheaper railway bridge. It must be investigated whether further EIA studies are required.
23 March 2007: The Danish Transport Authority states that the new project is likely to be subject to an EIA requirement.
30 March 2007: The Department of Technology and Environment urges the Ministry of Transport to implement the best and most cost-effective solution, including finalising the details of the alternative railway bridge.
29 May 2007: The Minister for Transport informs the mayor that there is now agreement to proceed with the alternative railway bridge, and that the costs involved (1–1.5 million Danish kroner) are proposed to be shared between the state and the local authority. The assessment is expected to take one year.
15 June 2007: The Mayor and the Councillor for Technology and the Environment send a letter to the Minister, requesting that the project already agreed upon (between the state and the county) be implemented without further delay.
7 September 2007: Aarhus Municipality and the State enter into an agreement on the construction of a road bridge. The road bridge is to be completed in 2009. The municipality will pay 5 million, whilst the state will pay 65 million and cover any budget overruns.