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Tourists and citizens flocking across new city bridge

Christian Wenande
August 26th, 2016


This article is more than 8 years old.

A higher than expected number of people are crossing Inderhavnsbroen

It’s no wonder since it’s the quickest route between Nyhavn and Christiania (photo: KK.dk)

There is little doubt that the new city bridge Inderhavnsbroen, stretching across the city harbour from Nyhavn to Christianshavn, has endured its fair share of troubles. But that seems to be water under the bridge.

It’s early days, but new figures from Copenhagen Municipality shows that far more cyclists and pedestrians have been using it to cross the watery gap than anticipated.

The city had expected 3,000-7,000 cyclists would use the bridge on a daily basis, but at the moment there are about 11,000 cyclists crossing every weekday.

And it is also popular with pedestrians – around 18,000 strolled across it last Saturday alone. But of course, the bridge is brand new and is probably popular on that accord.

“The Technical and Environmental Management will undertake a new traffic count later in the year to gain some insight into the number of people using it once the novelty factor wears off,” the municipality wrote.

READ MORE: Copenhagen’s problem bridge to close again … for a party like no other

More than a bridge
Aside from the bridge, the city has also improved the conditions of the infrastructure leading up and away from it.

Wider cycle paths have been established on Store Kongensgade and Gothersgade, while the one-way rules for cyclists along Nyhavn, Kongens Nytorv and up Gothersgade to the Kings Gardens have been removed.

On the opposite side of the harbour, smaller bridges have been set up to lead cyclists and pedestrians to popular destinations like the Paper Island, the Opera House and Holmen.

Furthermore, a new green cycle route, the Christianshavn Route, has been set up, leading traffic away from the bridge through Christiania and out into Amager.


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Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

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At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”