In the age of high technology, tourists havethe opportunity to admire not only the ancient monuments of architecture, but also the masterpieces of modern engineering. Tokyo and Dubai, other similar megacities also became centers of pilgrimage for travelers. But the "old woman" of Europe has something to surprise the tourist in terms of cutting-edge technology. One of the achievements of engineering at the very end of the last millennium was Öresundsky tunnel bridge, which connected two countries - Denmark and Sweden. We will tell about it in our article.
Building
Previously, to travel from one country to another,it was necessary to take the ferry. This led to the fact that ships constantly cruised along the Öresund Strait, hindering the movement of oceanic ships towards the Baltic Sea. Not to mention the queues of cars accumulating in anticipation of the ferry. Therefore, in the early nineties of the last century, it was decided to build a bridge between Denmark and Sweden. Began to create it in 1995. Construction did not proceed smoothly.
At first, workers found on the seabed as much aseighteen unbroken torpedoes from the Second World War. Then it was found that due to a small engineering error, the bias of one of the bridge spans went. Nevertheless, the construction was completed even three months earlier than planned. The bridge was commissioned in August 1999, when Danish Prince Friedrich and Princess of Sweden Victoria met in the middle of this structure. But the ruling monarchs of the two countries - Margrethe II and Karl Gustav the Sixteenth - cut the symbolic red ribbon almost a year later. Thus, the Denmark-Sweden bridge was officially opened on July 1, 2000.
What is the unique construction?
This highway connects the capital Copenhagen withthe city of Malmo, located in the south of the Scandinavian Peninsula. If you look at the structure from a great height, for example, from an airplane, it seems as if the bridge between Denmark and Sweden has remained unfinished. It ends near the artificial island of Peberholm. But this is a deceptive impression. Just on this site the bridge goes under the water and turns into a tunnel. The fact is that rare mollusks live off the coast of Denmark. In particular, in order to preserve the endangered species, it was decided to lower the bridge into the depths of the sea. So, the whole structure consists of three parts. The first is the surface part, which looks like the bridge we are used to. Then there is an artificial “Island-Pepper”, so named because of its shape, and an underground tunnel, which lies under the bottom of the Öresund strait.
Parameters of the surface part of the structure
Now let's take a closer look at the dimensions of this.newly appeared wonder of the world. The length of the above-ground structure alone is almost eight kilometers. Or rather, 7845 meters. Further, it rests on an artificial island, where an emergency helicopter landing pad is located. But the length of only eight kilometers above the water makes Öresund Bridge, which photos adorn the guidebooks in Sweden and Denmark, one of the tourist attractions.
Props rise to a height unattainable even forthe most severe northern storms. So that ocean-going vessels can safely pass under the bridge, the main span has a parameter fifty-seven meters. This is approximately the height of a twenty-story building. This two-story bridge. Below is a double-track railway. And at the very top there are four lanes for cars. The height of the road surface is two hundred and four meters. The feeling of traveling by car is such that they are flying on an airplane over the surface of the sea.
Oresundsky tunnel tunnel. Submerged part
Когда мост достигает насыпного острова Peberholm, the supports are falling. Further, both the railway rails and automobile lanes diverge in their tunnels. They are five pipes: two for trains going in different directions, two more for cars, and one for emergency situations. Together they make up the Drogden tunnel. This is a very important part of the design. Its length is four kilometers, almost two times less than Öresund Bridge. But the awareness that you are going to a depth of nine meters, and even under the seabed, worries many motorists. Especially when you look at the navigator. It shows that you are moving on water.
Fare Price
Oresundsky tunnel tunnel is a grand projectthe end of the last century. To build it, Denmark laid out thirty billion crowns. Therefore, travel on the bridge is quite expensive. You need to pay at the terminals in Swedish, Danish crowns or euros. For each type of car has its own tax. The car fare on Oresundsky tunnel bridge will cost an average of forty euros. Every day, sixty thousand cars cross the border between Denmark and Sweden for this architectural wonder. In addition, a train passes over the bridge every quarter of an hour. The governments of both countries encourage their citizens to make such trips. Many Copenhagen residents buy housing in provincial Malmö and travel daily to work in the capital of Denmark over the bridge. For them, there are discounts (75-80%). But even with such a load, Öresundsky bridge promises to pay off only by 2035.
Tourist attraction
Perhaps the Swedes and Danes who cross dailythe border between their states, which has become symbolic, is no longer seen as an exotic design. For them, this is just a convenient way in 25 minutes by high-speed train and in 40 minutes by car from Copenhagen to Malmo or in the opposite direction. But for tourists from other countries Oresundsky tunnel bridge is a real attraction. Driving along the surface, you can admire the seascapes. And diving into the tunnel, it is impossible not to appreciate the greatness of human genius.
