Scandinavia's International Connection (Available only in Structural Engineering Special Issue)

by David Elvin, Freelance Writer; Boston, MA,

Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1997, Vol. 67, Issue 9, Pg. 8A-13A

Document Type: Feature article


The 7.8-km-long cable-stayed Øresund Bridge, the centerpiece of the first road and rail link between Scandinavia and Europe, is the third and final link of the 15.8 km Oresund Link. The bridge will carry four lanes of traffic on its upper level and two tracks for freight and passenger trains on its lower level. The bridge, made possible by a 1991 treaty between the Swedish and Danish governments, is aimed at reducing the heavy volume of ferry traffic between the countries. Design of the bridge was thorough, with planners needing to take into account the combined loads of rail and auto traffic, as well as the ever-changing waves and currents of the strait. A primary design feature of the bridge is its 203.5-m-high pylons, which have no cross beams above the bridge deck. Also, the Oresund's 490 m main span is longer than what were previously the world's longest cable-stayed spans: the Iwagurojima and Hitsuishijima bridges in Japan. Construction of the bridge continues, with the entire link scheduled to open for traffic in 2000.

Subject Headings: Railroad bridges | Bridge design | Cable stayed bridges | Cables | Bridge decks | Infrastructure construction | Imaging techniques | Structural engineering | Europe | Scandinavia | Japan | Asia

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