Oresund Bridge: Marvelous Wonder of Civil Engineering

For the peoples of Sweden and Denmark, communication reached a new height of ease when the governments of both countries took a major stride in “bridging the gaps” with the support of the Oresund Bridge. Both countries’ governments were clear in their priorities for having a bridge that should be elegant and could keep the ecological balance intact. They were really interested in the initiative being technically realistic and financially stable too. It was only when the plan fulfilled all these norms that the steps toward this ambitious project were taken.

Finally, in 1991, the governments of both countries decided to construct a bridge to connect the two countries across the Oresund Strait. The sixteen-kilometer-long Oresund is actually a link between Malmo, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark. The bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 2000, and it has eased trade and travel between these countries. It was started in 1995 and came to completion in August 1999.

History tells us that Denmark and Sweden were linked once more 7,000 years after rising sea levels accompanying the end of the Ice Age severed the dry-land connection between the two. The Oresund Bridge stood out in entire Europe as one of the longest cable-supported bridges that are interconnected with roads and rail. It is for this reason that the Oresund Bridge also serves the purpose of being a tourist destination.

If you visit Sweden or Denmark, you’ll be amazed at the wonders of civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, fire engineering, and the risk scalability of the Oresund Bridge. Moreover, between Sweden and Denmark, there is a four-kilometer-long tunnel under a four-kilometer-long artificial island and, not to forget, an eight-kilometer-long cable-supported bridge that supports both roadways and European heavy railways.

The Oresund Bridge is the longest rail and road bridge in Europe, with a length of 490 meters. It has eased the lives of both countries, whether they travel by rail or road. It connects two major destinations in both countries, namely Malmo in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark.

The Oresund Bridge was a result of the joint efforts of Hochtief, Skanska, Højgaard & Schultz, and Monberg & Thorsen. Without a doubt, there were day-night efforts behind the construction of Oresund Bridge but unfortunately faced two unforeseen setbacks in the form of 16 unexploded bombs from World War II found on the sea bed and tunnel segments getting skewed inadvertently. Due to this, the completion time could not be met, and construction took place over three months before the scheduled date.

The initiative to build the artificial Danish island of Peberholm was in order to avoid air traffic disruption to the adjacent Copenhagen International Airport and to enable the ships on the strait to steer clear in both good and severe weather. The Oresund Bridge elevated part covers more than half of the gap between the two countries, weighs 82,000 tonnes, and comes with a four-lane road that underneath covers two railway tracks. Apart from being a creational wonder, as the Oresund Bridge has contributed a great deal to encourage the communication and economic prosperity of the region, it received the IABSE Outstanding Structure Award in 2002 as well.

The Oresund Link has three main segments. On the Denmark side, the link starts with a 3,510-meter underwater tunnel, which emerges from the water onto a roadway on a 4,055-meter artificial island, Peberholm, which appears as a lively white shape to the south of the natural island in the scene. The cable-supported Oresund Bridge, which stretches 7,845 meters across the eastern part of the Strait toward Sweden, builds a thin white line across the image.

Moreover, deep water appears dark blue, shallow water appears bright blue, vegetation appears green, and developed or paved areas appear white. Several white specks in the waters of the Strait are boats or ships. Oresund Bridge is the result of the joint efforts of Hochtief, Skanska Højgaard, Schultz Monberg, and Thorsen. It received the IABSE Outstanding Structure Award in 2002.

Also Read: Mysterious Libyan Desert Glass