The Øresund Bridge is a combined twin-track
railway and dual carriageway bridge-tunnel across the Øresund strait
between Sweden and Denmark.
The bridge runs nearly 8 km (5
miles) from the Swedish coast to the artificial island of Peberholm,
which lies in the middle of the strait. The remainder of the link is by
tunnel from Peberholm to the Danish island of Amager. The Øresund Bridge
is the longest combined road and rail
bridge in Europe, and connects two major metropolitan areas: those of
the Danish capital city Copenhagen and the major Swedish city Malmö.
Furthermore, the Øresund Bridge connects the road and rail networks of
Scandinavia with those of Central and Western Europe.
The
justification for the additional expenditure and complexity related to
digging a tunnel for part of the way – rather than simply raising that
section of the bridge – was to avoid interfering with air traffic from
the nearby Copenhagen International Airport, and also to provide a clear
channel for ships in good weather or bad, and to prevent ice floes from
blocking the strait. The Oresund Bridge crosses the border between
Denmark and Sweden, but in accordance with the Schengen Agreement and
the Nordic Passport Union, there are usually no passport inspections.
There are random customs checks at the entrance toll booths for entering
Sweden, but not for entering Denmark.
