The Port of Kalundborg has been involved in the establishment of the “Association for the Promotion of the Zealand Interstate Motorway”, which will connect Kalundborg, Slagelse and Næstved. Now that it has been decided to expand route 23 to a motorway all the way to Kalundborg, the next goal is to get something done about route 22.
And it is badly needed. The queue formation is significant on route 22 in the morning and afternoon, and this means delays for, among others, the many trucks that have to drive to and from the Port of Kalundborg with goods. In addition to reducing costs, the establishment of a motorway will mean a lower CO2 footprint, as trucks use less diesel here.
Kalundborg Port's port director Bent Rasmussen, with the support of the Kalundborg Port's board, has therefore chosen to get involved in the establishment of a new association that will fight to have route 22 expanded, so that there will be a motorway all the way between Kalundborg, Slagelse and Næstved. Bent Rasmussen said the following to TV2 Øst the other day:
-Today we have been able to ascertain that we have taken 42 percent of the Zealand container market. We distribute to and from all of Zealand. We can do this cheaper in terms of land transport, but not least we can do it cheaper in terms of the climate footprint. It is cheaper in terms of CO2 to transport containers from the Port of Kalundborg across Zealand, and this means that if we get a motorway, we can create an even better climate footprint for our goods that are going in and out of Zealand.
The Association for the Promotion of the Zealand Trans-Motorway believes that the establishment of the approximately 70 kilometers of motorway will provide both growth and jobs for the local area. An analysis from the consulting engineering firm Grontmij shows that it will create 2,600 new jobs. The people behind the association, which in addition to Kalundborg Port consists of business associations and companies in the area, believe that it is important that the fight is taken now that the Danish Parliament has decided to expand route 23 to a motorway and has also decided to spend money on a feasibility study for an upgrade of route 22. The upgrade can either be in the form of a motorway or a 2+1 road. The feasibility study is expected to be launched in 2025/26.
