Øresund Bridge, Cable-stayed bridge between Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden
The structure extends 7,845 meters (4.9 miles) across the strait with a double-deck configuration containing four traffic lanes on the upper level and two railway tracks below. The high bridge section over the main shipping channel reaches 57 meters (187 feet) above sea level. Steel pylons support the cable-stayed section while truss spans carry the longer stretches.
Planning commenced in the 1990s as a joint Danish-Swedish project to replace ferry services between the two countries. Construction started in 1995 and required 79,000 tons of steel and 85,000 cubic meters of concrete. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark opened the connection on July 1, 2000. Rail services began the same month with direct trains running between both capitals.
The connection handles over 70,000 vehicle movements daily and forms a central axis for the Øresund Region, where nearly four million people live and work on both shores. Commuters cross the strait regularly for employment, education and family visits, creating an integrated cross-border economic zone. The merger of two labor markets has established Malmö as a residential area for Copenhagen workers and vice versa.
Travelers purchase tickets online through the ØresundGO system, which offers the lowest rates and includes discounts for frequent users. Motorists pay tolls based on vehicle size while train passengers use regular rail tickets. The crossing takes roughly ten minutes by car and eight minutes by train. Pedestrians and cyclists cannot use the route directly but shuttle buses are available.
The project transitions from a bridge to an artificial island called Peberholm, then continues through an underwater tunnel to complete the Denmark-Sweden connection. This three-stage design was created to avoid interfering with flight patterns at nearby Copenhagen Airport. Peberholm itself remains uninhabited and has become a nature reserve where various plant and animal species have spontaneously established themselves.
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