20.11.2003
Coastal road reopened after 63 years

For the first time in 63 years, it will once again be possible to drive all the way around Copenhagen Airport. Copenhagen County, Dragør Municipality and Copenhagen Airports A/S have been working to revamp the coast road since 15 September 2003. The 4.9-km-long road will open today.

Starting at 5 pm today, it will once again be possible to use the coastal road to drive all the way around Copenhagen Airport. The road, which runs around the east side of the airport, was closed shortly after the Germans occupied Denmark in World War II, and it has long been a wish of local residents that the road once again be opened to the public. Copenhagen County, the Dragør local authority and Copenhagen Airports A/S collaborated on the project. Opening today as a two-lane street with a bi-directional bicycle path on one side, the new road runs from the Øresund motorway (connecting at the roundabout) to Dragør (at A.P. Møllers Allé). The road has been named "Kystvejen", or "Coast Road".

Joint investment

The County of Copenhagen, the Municipality of Dragør and Copenhagen Airports A/S invested jointly in the new road, which all three parties hope will benefit the local area residents. Both county and local authorities have had the reopening of the road on their wish list for a long time, and since the road is on airport property, the airport was a crucial partner in the project.

"Our wish for a route running around the east side of the airport has now been fulfilled. The project was jointly funded, and it is highly gratifying that the airport and the Dragør local authority wanted to work together with us on this for the benefit of the regional community. At the same time, with this efficient infrastructure, we are taking into consideration the great industrial-policy potential of the area," says Copenhagen County Council Chairman Vibeke Storm Rasmussen.
 
"With Kystvejen, the local community now has a third road connecting them with the rest of the world; it's a definite improvement, especially for the people living in northern Dragør. Kystvejen has a great deal of strategic importance for Dragør. Today, the only route our many commuters have out of Dragør is Englandsvej. With Kystvejen, Dragør now also has its own motorway ramp, which is an attractive alternative for motorists. In addition, the local community now has a direct bus connection to the airport and thus also direct train – and, later, Metro – connections," says Dragør Mayor Asger Larsen.

"We're happy to be able to help our neighbours, the county and the municipality by making their wish for a road around the other side of the airport a reality. Kystvejen will also help support business development in the region. Since we also envision setting up a transport centre – the Airport Business Park – on the extra land added east of the airport when Øresund Link was built, it is gratifying to see things going in that direction," says Copenhagen Airports vice president Mogens Kornbo.

The road around Copenhagen Airport stretches 4.9 km, and it will be part of a half-marathon race route for the first time on 23 November. The race organisers are the local exercise club Motionsklubben Amager.

For additional information, please contact Press Co-ordinator Camilla Kjærsgaard on telephone (+45) 3231 2806.

Press release in PDF