The incredible £3.4bn bridge between two European countries

This 8-kilometre bridge has been connecting Sweden and Denmark for over 24 years. Øresund Bridge links the two countries by providing a combined railway and motorway connection across the Øresund strait.

A joint venture between the state companies Svedab (Sweden) and A/S Øresundsforbindelsen (Denmark), the bridge completes half the journey between Sweden and the Danish Island of Amager.

It runs from the Swedish coast near the city of Malmo to the artificial Danish Island of Peberholm, located in the middle of the strait.

The second half of the journey to the island of Amager, where Copenhagen airport is located, is then completed by a tunnel from Peberholm, making the total length of the journey around 16 km.

Construction of the bridge began in 1995 and officially opened for traffic in July 2000. Just after two years of its opening it received the IABSE Outstanding Structure Award.

The island of Peberholm acts as a crossover between the tunnel and the bridge. It also has been equipped with an exit from the motorway, banned from unauthorised traffic and a helicopter pad which is used in case of traffic accidents.

The bridge, which sees around 70,000 people cross daily cost around £3.4 billion to construct with it expected to be recouped by 2037.

Depending on the type of vehicle, the fee for crossing the bridge varies. A motorcyclist will pay £25.68, a passenger car £50.77 and a van, motorhome or passenger car with a trail pays £178.55.

Øresund Bridge is the second longest bridge in Europe, right after the 18.1km Kerch Bridge, which spans the Kerch Strait between the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai in Russia and the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea.