The Amazing Underwater Bridge between Sweden and Denmark

Underwater Bridge between Sweeden and Denmark caption

This bridge and tunnel goes under water to allow movement of ships.In order for ships to pass, this bridge is half under the water, In Denmark and Sweden, the bridge is usually referred to as Øresundsbroen and Öresundsbron respectively.

 The bridge company insists on Øresundsbron, a compromise between the two languages. Since the crossing is composed of a bridge, an artificial island and a tunnel, it is sometimes called the
"Öresund Link" or the "Öresund Connection" (Danish: Øresundsforbindelsen, Swedish: Öresundsförbindelsen).
History

The construction of the Øresund Bridge, which was undertaken by a joint venture of Hochtief, Skanska, Højgaard & Schultz and Monberg & Thorsen,[2] began in 1995, and was finished 14 August 1999. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden met midway across the bridge-tunnel on 14 August 1999 to celebrate its completion.

 Its official dedication took place on 1 July 2000, with Queen Margrethe II, and King Carl XVI Gustaf as the host and hostess of the ceremony.The bridge tunnel was opened for public traffic later that day. On 12 June 2000, two weeks before the dedication, 79,871 runners competed in Broloppet, a half marathon from Amager, Denmark, to Skåne, Sweden.

Over View of the Bridge

In spite of two schedule setbacks  the discovery of 16 unexploded World War II bombs on the seafloor and an inadvertently skewed tunnel segment  the bridge-tunnel was finished three months ahead of schedule.

Although traffic jumped 61 percent in the first years,[6] the crossing was not used as much as expected (probably because of the high tolls) but since 2005 there has been a rapid increase in traffic. This may have been caused by Danes buying homes in Sweden to take advantage of lower housing prices in Malmö and commuting to work in Denmark. In 2012, to cross by car cost DKK 310, SEK 375 or € 43, with discounts of up to 75% available to regular users. In 2007, almost 25 million people travelled over the Øresund Bridge: 15.2 million by car and bus and 9.6 million by train. By 2009, the figure had risen to 35.6 million by car, coach or train.

You literally drive across the bridge then go down in the water and then come out on the other side.

 Truly a marvelous piece of engineering that man kind has taken to another level with great technological advances! This bridge is between Sweden and Denmark.

Credits: Google/ Wikipedia