Øresund Motorway Faces Nightly Closures Through July 24

Femi Ajakaye

July 16, 2026
8:28 am

Drivers heading to Copenhagen Airport or across the Øresund Bridge should brace for short overnight closures on the Øresund Motorway from July 15 to 24, as Sund & Bælt takes down signage gantries in seven nights of scheduled roadwork.

The work will close the motorway for up to 15 minutes at a time, two or three times per night, between 1 and 4 a.m. It’s planned for the dead of night to minimize disruption. But anyone traveling to catch an early flight or crossing into Sweden should expect delays and possible queues.

Sund & Bælt says the work is part of the ongoing expansion of the Øresund Motorway, a project running from 2026 through 2029. The closures are split by direction. Eastbound lanes toward the airport and Sweden will be affected from Wednesday, July 15, through Friday, July 17, and again on Tuesday, July 21. Westbound lanes toward Copenhagen will close from Tuesday, July 21, through Friday, July 24.

A Motorway Already Under Pressure

This isn’t the first time the Øresund Motorway has caused headaches. Last year, the route was repeatedly hit by water on the roadway. In one incident, 8,000 liters of water were pumped out in just two hours. The motorway was closed in one direction and later reopened with a reduced speed limit of 50 km/h.

Those problems highlighted how vulnerable the route has become. Now, with major roadworks planned through 2029, the stretch is set to remain a travel pain point for years. And it’s not just the motorway. According to a status note from Copenhagen Municipality, Amager is currently dealing with two major infrastructure projects at once: the Øresund Motorway expansion and Energinet’s new high-voltage cable installation, which won’t finish until late 2027.

For anyone living or working on Amager, that’s a long stretch of uncertainty. The cumulative effect of multiple projects means longer travel times, detours, and disruption that won’t ease anytime soon.

Night Work to Limit Disruption

Sund & Bælt says the work won’t be noisy. Project manager Kåre Ulrich Hansen explained that scheduling the closures at night aims to hit the lowest traffic volumes. But even short closures can ripple outward when they happen on a major artery like this one.

The Øresund Motorway is one of Denmark’s busiest routes. It connects Copenhagen with the airport, Øresund Bridge, and southern Sweden. Any closure, even brief, has the potential to create bottlenecks. That’s especially true during summer travel season, when cross-border traffic is high.

What to Expect

Drivers should check Trafikinfo.dk for real-time updates before heading out. If you’re traveling to the airport for an early morning flight, build in extra time. The closures are short, but they’re frequent, and there’s no guarantee traffic will flow smoothly between them.

The work is necessary. The motorway expansion is meant to increase capacity on a critical link. But for now, it means more nights of disruption and more reasons to double-check your route before you leave.

I’ve driven this stretch more times than I can count. It’s the lifeline between Copenhagen and the airport, and any closure, planned or not, sends a ripple through the city. This July, those ripples will come at night. Just don’t assume the road will be clear.