Denmark’s Bridges

The Economist writes about Denmark’s enthusiasm for bridges:

A love of bridges is understandable in a country with 400 islands. Denmark boasts two of the world’s most impressive: the Great Belt bridge linking east and west Denmark, and the Oresund bridge spanning the strait between Sweden and Denmark. Bridge-lovers are rejoicing after the government announced plans for the biggest bridge yet: a 19-kilometre (12-mile) colossus across the Fehmarn strait between Denmark and Germany.

The hope is that the bridge, with four motorway lanes and two rail tracks, will be a fast artery linking Copenhagen with Hamburg. Construction is expected to start in 2011 and finish in 2018. Yet the plan has triggered worry and envy. Worriers, notably the far-right Danish People’s Party (DPP), are miffed that Denmark is to pay the €4.7 billion ($6.5 billion) cost alone. The government says taking sole financial responsibility (and ownership) was the only way to win German agreement. Envy is seen in calls for a new Kattegat bridge to cut the three-hour train journey between Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark’s second city, to 30 minutes. This would cost twice as much as the Fehmarn link. Yet politicians are making encouraging noises.

Once the bridge over the Fehmarn strait is completed, the journey between Malmö and Hamburg will take less than two hours by high-speed train. Now it takes four hours since the ferry slows things down. Too bad it will we will have to wait another ten years.