One of Denmark’s largest noise barrier projects was completed in April 2025 after a 1½-year construction period. DAV NORDIC served as the main contractor for the project.
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The E45 motorway runs straight through Aalborg, and in several places, residential areas lie very close to the road. This causes a great deal of noise for residents, which significantly burdens them and affects their daily lives. In some areas, noise barriers had already been established, but as traffic on the North Jutland motorway has increased, those measures were no longer sufficient.
As part of the Infrastructure Plan 2035, it was decided that the Danish Road Directorate (Vejdirektoratet) would establish new noise barriers to reduce motorway noise south of Aalborg and thereby improve the quality of life for many of the area’s residents. The Danish Road Directorate selected DAV NORDIC as the main contractor for the installation of the noise barriers.
To reduce noise as effectively as possible, several factors come into play. Height, in particular, is a major factor in how much noise can be reduced. Therefore, a solution was chosen where the barriers would range in height from 6 to 9 meters. This is the first time the Danish Road Directorate has installed noise barriers as high as 9 meters.
In addition to height, there are many other factors involved in noise reduction — you can read more about them on the Danish Road Directorate’s website. These factors have also been considered as part of the overall solution.
Such tall walls become a very prominent feature in the landscape, which is why a noise barrier with trellises was chosen. The planted vegetation will, over time, climb and cover the barrier in green, helping it blend more naturally into the environment and contribute to the creation of green areas.
In some sections, wooden slats were used at the base of the noise barriers, as plants are unlikely to survive road salting during the cold winter months.
The noise barrier itself covers a total stretch of nearly 8 kilometers, in both the northbound and southbound directions.
The noise barrier in Aalborg consists of:
As the main contractor on the project, DAV NORDIC was responsible for the design, structural calculations, and installation of the noise barrier panels.
We held the overall supplier responsibility and managed the project from start to finish in close collaboration with the Danish Road Directorate.
The project required us to consider many different types of terrain while working alongside active roads and in close proximity to residential areas. This made the work a complex process, impacting the daily lives of many people in various ways.
The combination of planning, collaboration, expertise, and experience from all project stakeholders ensured we could bring everything together and reach our goal in the best possible way.
The project began in spring 2023 with the design and structural calculations. In this phase, we worked closely with ISC Consulting Engineers, who handled the drawings and engineering.
“On a project like the Aalborg noise barrier, we face many challenges along the way that can influence the execution. That’s why thorough preparation before construction begins is essential to minimize unforeseen complications. Together with ISC, we created that foundation. With their expertise in steel structures and practical approach, ISC was a major asset in developing the best possible noise barrier solution for Aalborg,” says Johny Poulsen, Project Manager at DAV.
This isn’t our first collaboration with ISC, and their in-depth knowledge significantly improved efficiency and ensured top-quality results.
Jesper Eriksen, Assistant Project Manager at ISC Consulting Engineers, adds:
“For a project like the Aalborg noise barrier, it is crucial that the designs and solutions are buildable. Through a strong technical partnership with DAV, we’ve developed a project where there’s clear agreement that the solutions are feasible and well thought out. DAV has been particularly effective in challenging our theoretical approach during the design phase, stress-testing the buildability of our solutions early on.”
DAV has been particularly effective in challenging our theoretical approach during the design phase, stress-testing the buildability of our solutions early on. Jesper Eriksen, Assistant Project Manager at ISC Consulting Engineers
Jesper Eriksen, Assistant Project Manager at ISC Consulting Engineers
Beyond the initial phase, ISC remained involved throughout the project, assisting with adjustments and modifications when needed.
A noise barrier project along a motorway is unique and differs from other construction types because the site is long and narrow. This brings a number of challenges, as the workspace is limited—further reduced by mandatory safety zones near traffic to protect site workers.
This means only a limited number of workers can be present at any one time, and passing by others on site is often impossible. These constraints placed significant demands on planning who should be where and when. The construction logistics only succeeded because of strong, close collaboration between project stakeholders.
At DAV NORDIC, we partnered with Munck Havne & Anlæg as the subcontractor for all earthworks and foundation work. Throughout the project, we carefully coordinated logistics to make sure every piece of the puzzle fit together.
Nicolai Bak Christensen, Project Manager at DAV NORDIC, describes one of the challenges we encountered and how it was resolved through tight cooperation and dialogue:
“It’s incredibly difficult to move something like an excavator. It needs to be transported away because it’s not allowed—or able—to drive on the motorway. So it doesn’t make sense to move the machine if we’ll be using it again in the same spot in the next phase. But it’s also large and can block work in the meantime. I coordinate this with Marc from Munck, and we always find a good solution that allows everyone space to work without wasting time and resources on moving heavy equipment back and forth.”
At Munck Havne & Anlæg, they emphasize that the key to the project’s success was the close collaboration and open communication throughout:
“From the beginning, we’ve had weekly coordination meetings with DAV to plan the upcoming week. In addition, we’ve spoken daily to address challenges as they came up or coordinate necessary changes. It’s this close and transparent communication that ensured successful cooperation,” says Marc Thyrrestrup Andersen, Foreman at Munck Havne & Anlæg.
Read more in the Danish Road Directorate’s press release
If you want to learn more about noise barriers, you can read more here.
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