Öland Bridge

The Öland Bridge (Swedish: Ölandsbron) is a road bridge connecting Kalmar on mainland Sweden to Färjestaden on the island of Öland to its east. At 6,072 meters (19,921 ft) long, it is one of the longest in all of Europe (the longest one until completion of Vasco da Gama Bridge in 1998). It is supported by 156 pillars, and has a characteristic hump at its western end which was created to provide a vertical clearance of 36 m for shipping.

Öland Bridge
Coordinates56°40′30″N 16°25′00″E
Carries4 lanes of roadway for motor vehicles
CrossesKalmar Strait
LocaleFärjestaden
Official nameÖlandsbron
Maintained bySwedish Transport Administration
Characteristics
Total length6,072 m (19,921 ft)
Width13 m (43 ft)
Longest span130 m (430 ft)
Clearance below36 m (118 ft)
History
Opened30 September 1972
Location

A little to the south of the western end of the bridge a small wooden pedestrian and bicycle bridge, around 150 m in length and connecting the island of Svinö to the mainland, echoes the form of the Öland bridge. This "replica" is clearly visible to anyone crossing to Öland via the main bridge. While the Öresund Bridge linking Sweden with Denmark is longer overall, the Öland Bridge is the longest entirely in Swedish territory.

Construction

The Öland Bridge was inaugurated on 30 September 1972. Among the speakers at the ceremony, which took place on the island side of the bridge, was the Crown Prince Carl XVI Gustaf. The bridge cost 80 million Swedish kronor to build. Construction took 4.5 years, and about 100,000 cubic meters of concrete was used. The bridge was also prepared for transporting fresh water from the mainland to Öland. The bridge project received much support, but there were also protests. The main objection was that the bridge would threaten the environment, possibly causing a huge influx of tourists to Öland and its vulnerable and precious nature.[1]

The Öland bridge as seen from the Öland side

See also

References
  1. Aktuellt 1973. K G Bertmarks förlag. 1973. ISSN 0343-6993.
Records
Preceded by
Zeeland Bridge		 Europe’s longest bridge
1972–1998		 Succeeded by
Vasco da Gama Bridge
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