Denmark is a country predominantly made up of islands, therefore the construction of a network of bridges and tunnels connecting them together has been important in unifying the nation.
Probably now the most famous of Denmark’s bridges, the Øresund bridge crosses the Øresund strait (The Sound) and links Copenhagen to the Swedish city of Malmö.
It was officially opened on 1st July 2000 and is now used by approximately 17,000 road vehicles each day.
This connection has meant that the Danish are increasingly integrated with the Swedish region of Scania and vice versa, with common culture being shared. It has also meant that the rail and road networks of Scandinavia are linked directly to those of mainland Europe.
At 8km long, the Øresund bridge is the longest combined rail and road bridge in Europe. This distance stretches between the Swedish coast to the artificial island of Peberholm in the middle of the strait. The remaining 4 km to Denmark is travelled via the Drogden tunnel to the island of Amager.
There is a toll of €43 for cars using the bridge (€23 for motorbikes and €9 for a train ticket), however, a considerable discount of 75% is available for regular users.
Since its completion in 1998, the Great Belt Fixed Link has made a journey that used to take an hour by ferry possible in just 10 minutes. The bridge connects the islands of Zealand and Funen.
The link consists of a suspension bridge and railway tunnel connecting Zealand to Sprogo island and a box girder bridge between Sprogo and Funen. Along with the Øresund bridge, the Great Belt Fixed Link completes the connection between Scandinavia and western Europe.
The train line of the bridge serves trains from Copenhagen to other European destinations.