The byråd (city council) spent 7.5 million kr. on one-way traffic and 66 angled parking spaces on Kongevejen

Aarhus Byråd adopted on Wednesday 26 August 2026 the magistrat's proposal to allocate 7.5 million kr. for southbound one-way traffic on Kongevejen and permanent angled parking on the northern section. The funds are intended to improve traffic flow and parking in Kongelunden ahead of the stadium opening in 2027. SF, Enhedslisten and Radikale Venstre did not endorse the proposal.

What this means for you

Kongevejen will be made one-way southbound, and approximately 66 permanent angled parking spaces will be added on the western side of the road between Skovbrynet and Havreballe Skovvej. Visitors to Kongelunden will get more structured parking, and the administration expects better traffic flow and less risk of inappropriate parking. According to Teknik og Miljø, cyclists will get clearer separation between the carriageway, parking spaces, cycle path and pavement, so cars no longer pull in over the cycle path. According to the proposal, construction work could begin in late summer 2026.

Background

Teknik og Miljø proposed on 27 May 2026 to use funds from the construction reserve in Grøn Mobilitetsplan 2024-2034 for a partial solution that can also be coordinated with utility work from Kredsløb and Aarhus Vand. The background is a growing need for traffic flow and parking in Kongelunden, especially with the new stadium opening in spring 2027. Previously earmarked 50 million kr. for traffic and parking was reprioritised through Udviklingsplanen for Kongelunden, and according to the proposal there are not funds for all GMP project proposals under initiative #14 on green mobility for Kongelunden.

The magistrat recommended on 9 June 2026 that the byråd endorse the proposal. The byråd referred the case to By- og Planudvalget on 17 June. The udvalg (committee) endorsed the proposal on 19 August in line with the magistrat's recommendation, with reservations from Isabella Heilmann and without support from Liv Gro Jensen and Albert Rosenkrantz Conradsen.

Figures and facts

• 7.5 million kr. is allocated from the construction reserve regarding Grøn mobilitetsplan 2024-2034 for one-way traffic and approx. 66 permanent angled parking spaces from Skovbrynet to Havreballe Skovvej (Proposal).
• The funds are proposed to be taken from »Kongelunden – Trafik-ø« and »Kongelunden busvendeplads«, which together are budgeted at 10 million kr., and allocated to K.B. Sikkerhed og Miljø (Proposal).
• The road plan also reserves space for 10 parking spaces associated with charging stations to the north (Appendix 1: Road plan).
• The project's climate impact is approx. 155 tonnes CO₂e according to LCA based on scenario 0 – the tender list (Appendix 4: LCA assessment of the project's climate impact).
• The construction estimate for a bus turning area at Jyllands Allé with space for three buses is 21 million kr.; the project is underfunded (Note MTM 14.08.2026).
• The byråd adopted initiative 14 on green mobility for Kongelunden on 17 December 2025 with a total of ten million kr. – five million kr. for traffic island and five million kr. for bus turning area (Note MTM 17.06.2026).

Who said what

Kristian Sommer (S) endorsed the committee statement and pointed out that angled parking is one contribution in a larger package, and that the permanent solution also improves cyclist accessibility and safety after criticism of temporary angled parking.

Albert Rosenkrantz Conradsen (SF) called the decision wrong and believed that permanent spaces on Kongevejen mar the forest. He acknowledged the need for parking in Kongelunden, but not this location.

Gert Bjerregaard (V) called the proposal a small step forward and stressed that spaces are lacking ahead of the new stadium, and that the case must be revisited several times.

Sarah Jarsbo (EL) read out on behalf of Isabella Heilmann that Enhedslisten did not endorse: funds from the bus turning area should not be used for more car parking when green mobility is about buses, bicycles and pedestrians.

Bünyamin Simsek (KF) praised Socialdemokratiet for agreeing to permanent solutions in an area with need.

Metin Lindved Aydin (RV) could not endorse. He highlighted that Kongelunden should be prioritised for walking, cycling and public transport, and that 66 extra spaces do not solve the parking problem but change the character of the avenue.

Jakob Søgaard Clausen (DD) supported the proposal after coalition discussions and involvement of fællesråd and Kongelundens Grønne Venner, who recommended against the spaces. He believed conversely that the solution creates more order for cars, bicycles and pedestrians, and criticised that mobility solutions have been requested since 2019.

What happens next

The case has been sent back to Magistratsafdelingen for Teknik og Miljø. The endorsement means the administration can begin constructing angled parking and making the northern part of Kongevejen one-way. An application for EIA screening was still awaiting an authority decision according to the proposal. A cross-magistrat working group on parking options around Kongelunden is expected to report to the byråd in connection with the upcoming budget negotiations.

Sources

• Minutes — One-way traffic on Kongevejen in a southerly direction and angled parking on Kongevejen
• Appendix — Proposal
• Appendix — City council debate 26.08.2026
• Appendix — Note MTM 17.06.2026 (added 17.06.2026)
• Appendix — Note MTM 14.08.2026
• Appendix — Appendix 1: Road plan
• Appendix — Appendix 4: LCA assessment of the project's climate impact
• Aarhus Kommune meeting documents — the meeting
• Aarhus Kommune

Other appendices

• Appendix — City council debate 17.06.2026
• Appendix — Committee statement
• Appendix — Appendix 2: Signage and marking plan
• Appendix — Appendix 3: Cross-section of the project
• Appendix — Appendix 5: Supplementary appropriation T-26-202-004