Connecting Denmark and Sweden, the Oeresund bridge is the largest rail & road bridge in all of Europe.

The construction of the bridge was finished in July 2000 and was then open to the public. What makes this construction so unique, is the fact that it has two railway tracks above four lanes for cars.

The aim of the bridge was to provide a suitable route for traffic using the E20 European road, this means that people who lived in Scandinavia, now direct access to roads around central Europe.

It was designed by Georg Rotne and is an icon for the area. It is over 7800 meters long and connects to the Drogden undersea tunnel. The reason they decided not to continue the bridge across to the other side, was to provide adequate room in Oeresund strait for cargo ships and other boats to pass through. Although the bridge has a clearance height of 57 meters, they thought it was best to allow extra room, because some ships can be very large.

The cost of the whole operation was approximately 30.1 billion DKK, which is equivalent to US$5.7 billion. The income derived from the bridge is reliant on it’s users paying a toll. This fee varies depending on what vehicle is being driven. On a one way trip, a motorcycle will pay 160 DDK, which is US$28. A standard passenger car would pay 295 DKK , approximately US$50. If a large truck or lorry is required to take this route, they must pay 1515 DDK, which equals US$263.

Weighing over 82,000 tonnes, with towers holding the free standing cables reaching a height of nearly 700 feet, it is a truly a marvel to see and makes the everyday citizen wonder how the Oeresund bridge was built.

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