View source for Great Belt Bridge

{{Short description|Bridge–tunnel road and railway crossing of the Great Belt in Denmark}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox bridge|qid=Q3396535
|bridge_name   = Great Belt Bridge <br /> (East Bridge)
|image         = Storebæltsbroen from Sjælland.jpg
|caption       = The East Bridge as seen from the Zealand side
|official_name = Østbroen
|carries       = 4 lanes of [[European route E20|E20]]
|crosses       = [[Great Belt]]
|locale        =
|maint         = A/S Storebælt
|id            =
|designer      = [[COWI A/S|COWI]], [[Ramboll]] & [[Dissing+Weitling]]
|builder       = [[Hochtief]], [[Skanska]], [[MT Højgaard|Højgaard & Schultz]] and [[MT Højgaard|Monberg & Thorsen]]
|design        = [[Suspension bridge]]
|material      = Concrete and steel
|spans         =
|pierswater    = 19
|mainspan      = {{convert|1624|m|ft|0}}
|length        = {{convert|6790|m|ft|0}}
|width         = {{convert|31|m|ft|0}}
|height        = {{convert|254|m|ft|0}}
|load          =
|clearance     =
|below         = {{convert|65|m|ft|0}}
|traffic       = 
|begin         = 1991
|complete      = 1998
|opened          = 14 June 1998
|closed        =
|toll          = 275 DKK (€37/$40) per car.<ref name="Prices">{{cite web |author=Storebælt.dk |url=https://storebaelt.dk/en/prices-and-discounts/private/ |title= Prices |publisher=A/S Storebælt |year=2024 |access-date=21 January 2024}}</ref>
|coordinates   = {{Coord|55|20|31|N|11|02|10|E|scale:30000_region:DK_type:landmark|display=inline}}
|lat           =
|long          =
| mapframe-zoom = 10
}}

The '''Great Belt Bridge''' ({{langx|da|Storebæltsbroen}}) or '''Great Belt fixed link''' ({{langx|da|Storebæltsforbindelsen}}) is a multi-element [[fixed link]] crossing the [[Great Belt]] strait between the [[Denmark|Danish]] islands of [[Zealand]] and [[Funen]]. It consists of a road [[suspension bridge]] and a railway tunnel between Zealand and the small island [[Sprogø]] in the middle of the Great Belt, and a [[box-girder bridge]] for both road and rail traffic between Sprogø and Funen. The total length is {{convert|18|km|mi}}.<ref name="fakta" />

The term ''Great Belt Bridge'' commonly refers to the suspension bridge, although it may also be used to mean the box-girder bridge, especially when discussing the railway, or the link in its entirety. Together with the [[New Little Belt Bridge]], the Great Belt link provides a continuous road and rail connection between [[Copenhagen]] and the Danish mainland (the [[Jutland Peninsula]] of the [[European continent]]). It has the world's seventh-[[List of longest suspension bridge spans|longest main span]] ({{convert|1.6|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}). Operation and maintenance of the bridge are performed by ''A/S Storebælt'' under ''Sund &amp; Bælt''. Maintenance and the original construction are financed by [[toll road|tolls]] on vehicles and trains making use of the bridge.

Officially named the East Bridge, the suspension bridge was designed by the Danish firms [[COWI A/S|COWI]] and [[Ramboll]], and the architecture firm [[Dissing+Weitling]]. The construction and assembly of the suspended deck were carried out by the company [https://structurae.net/en/companies/gec-alsthom-sdem Alsthom Sdem] with the consultancy of the Italian [https://www.demiranda.it/ Studio de Miranda Associati] under the direction of Mario de Miranda.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://doi.org/10.5169/seals-59845 | doi=10.5169/seals-59845 | date=1998 | last1=Petrequin | first1=Michel | last2=Miranda | first2=Mario De | title=Beyond the limits of erection activities | journal=IABSE Reports = Rapports AIPC = IVBH Reports | volume=79 | page=143 }}</ref> The link replaced the [[Great Belt ferries]] service, which had been the primary means of crossing the Great Belt. After more than 50 years of debate, the Danish government decided in 1986 to construct a link;<ref>{{cite book |title=DSB: Passagerens håndbog |publisher=[[DSB (railway company)|DSB]] |year=1990 |isbn=87-7025-152-5 |page=73 |language=da}}</ref> the bridge opened to rail traffic in 1997 and to road traffic in 1998, at the time the world's second longest, beaten by the [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge]] opened a few months previously. At an estimated cost of [[Danish krone|DKK]] 21.4 billion ([[Euro|EUR]] 2.8 billion) (1988 prices),<ref name="fakta" /> the link is the largest construction project in Danish history.<ref name="thebridge">{{cite web |title=The Bridge |url=http://www.storebaelt.dk/english/bridge |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130623214932/http://www.storebaelt.dk/english/bridge |archive-date=23 June 2013 |access-date=4 December 2008 |publisher=A/S Storebælt}}</ref> It has reduced travel times significantly; previously taking one hour by ferry, the Great Belt can now be crossed in ten minutes. This link, together with the [[Øresund Bridge]] (built 1995–1999) and the [[Little Belt Bridge]], have together enabled driving from [[mainland Europe]] to [[Sweden]] through Denmark.

== History ==
{{See also|Great Belt#International waterway}}
The [[Great Belt ferries]] entered service between the coastal towns of [[Korsør]] and [[Nyborg]] in 1883, connecting the railway lines on either side of the Belt. In 1957, road traffic was moved to the Halsskov–Knudshoved route, about 1.5 kilometres to the north and close to the fixed link.

Construction drafts for a fixed link were presented as early as the 1850s, with several suggestions appearing in the following decades. The [[Danish State Railways]], responsible for the ferry service, presented plans for a bridge in 1934. The concepts of bridges over Øresund (152 million DKK) and Storebælt (257 million DKK) were calculated around 1936.<ref>Marstrand, Wilhelm. "[http://www.e-pages.dk/ingarkiv/4807/html5/?page=17 Det store vej- og broprojekt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923172752/http://www.e-pages.dk/ingarkiv/4807/html5/?page=17 |date=23 September 2015 }}" ''[[Ingeniøren]]'', 14 March 1936. Accessed: 2 December 2014.</ref> In 1948, the Ministry for Public Works (now the [[Danish Ministry of Transport|Ministry of Transport]]) established a commission to investigate the implications of a fixed link.<ref name="planer">{{cite web |last=Hellesen |first=Jette Kjærulff |author2=Ole Tuxen |title=Planer om fast forbindelse |url=http://www.korsoer-historie.dk/planeromfastforbindelse/ |work=Korsør i 15.000 år |publisher=[[Korsør Municipality]] |language=da |access-date=2009-06-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704062513/http://www.korsoer-historie.dk/planeromfastforbindelse/ |archive-date=4 July 2009}}</ref>

The first law concerning a fixed link was enacted in 1973,<ref>{{cite web |last=Hellesen |first=Jette Kjærulff |author2=Ole Tuxen |title=Korsør og Storebæltsforbindelsen 1973–95 |url=http://www.korsoer-historie.dk/korsrogstorebltsforbindelsen/ |work=Korsør i 15.000 år |publisher=[[Korsør Municipality]] |language=da |access-date=2009-06-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704062448/http://www.korsoer-historie.dk/korsrogstorebltsforbindelsen/ |archive-date=4 July 2009}}</ref> but the project was put on hold in 1978 as the [[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre]] (Liberal) party demanded postponing public spending. Political agreement to restart work was reached in 1986, with a construction law ({{langx|da|anlægslov}}) being passed in 1987.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hellesen |first=Jette Kjærulff |author2=Ole Tuxen |title=Den faste forbindelse |url=http://www.korsoer-historie.dk/denfasteforbindelse/ |work=Korsør i 15.000 år |publisher=[[Korsør Municipality]] |language=da |access-date=2009-06-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704064717/http://www.korsoer-historie.dk/denfasteforbindelse/ |archive-date=4 July 2009}}</ref>

The design was carried out by the engineering firms [[COWI A/S|COWI]] and [[Ramboll]] together with [[Dissing+Weitling]] [[Architectural firm|architecture practice]].

Construction of the link commenced in 1988. In 1991, Finland sued Denmark at the [[International Court of Justice]], on the grounds that Finnish-built mobile offshore drilling units would be unable to pass beneath the bridge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.icj-cij.org:443/case/86|title=Passage through the Great Belt (Finland v. Denmark)|website=www.icj-cij.org}}</ref> The two countries negotiated a financial compensation of 90 million [[Danish krone]]r, and Finland withdrew the lawsuit in 1992.<ref>{{Citation
 | last = Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)
 | author-link = Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)
 | contribution = Kirjallinen kysymys: Suomen valtion Juutinrauman siltahankkeesta saamista korvauksista
 | title = KK 94/1994 vp {{in lang|fi|sv}}
 | publisher = [[Parliament of Finland]]
 | date = 1994-03-24
 | contribution-url = http://www.eduskunta.fi/triphome/bin/akxhref2.sh?{KEY}=KK+94/1994 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2022}}</ref>

A [[European Court of Justice]] ruling in 1993 found that a contractual condition requiring use of local labour and local materials in constructing the bridge was incompatible with the principles of the [[EEC Treaty]].<ref>Heard, E., [https://www.bevanbrittan.com/insights/articles/2016/evaluation-and-the-audit-trail/ Evaluation and the audit trail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231071540/https://www.bevanbrittan.com/insights/articles/2016/evaluation-and-the-audit-trail/ |date=31 December 2023 }}, ''Bevan Brittan'', published 8 June 2016, accessed 31 December 2023</ref>

The link is estimated to have created a value of 379 billion DKK after 50 years of use.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://ing.dk/sites/ing/files/samfundsoekonomisk_analyse_af_storebaeltsforbindelsen.pdf| title = Economic analysis| access-date = 22 February 2015| archive-date = 22 February 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150222103336/http://ing.dk/sites/ing/files/samfundsoekonomisk_analyse_af_storebaeltsforbindelsen.pdf| url-status = dead}}</ref>

In 2022, the bridge was crossed as part of the route of [[2022 Tour de France, Stage 1 to Stage 11#Stage 2|Stage 2]] of the [[2022 Tour de France]].

== Construction ==
{{Infobox bridge|qid=Q60332353
|bridge_name   = The West Bridge
|image         = Storebæltsbroen2.jpg
|caption       = The West Bridge (foreground) seen from Nyborg at Funen.
|official_name = Vestbroen
|carries       = Motor vehicles, trains
|crosses       = [[Great Belt]]
|locale        =
|maint         = A/S Storebælt
|id            =
|designer      =
|design        = [[Box girder bridge]]
|material      =
|spans         =
|pierswater    = 62
|mainspan      = {{convert|110|m|ft|0}}
|length        = {{convert|6611|m|ft|0}}
|width         = {{convert|25|m|ft|0}}
|height        =
|load          =
|clearance     =
|below         = {{convert|18|m|ft|0}}
|traffic       =
|begin         = 1988
|complete      = 1994
|opened        = {{ubl|1 June 1997 (rail traffic)|14 June 1998 (road traffic)}}
|closed        =
|toll          =
|coordinates   = {{Coord|55|18|42|N|10|54|23|E|scale:30000_region:DK_type:landmark|display=inline}}
|lat           =
|long          =
}}
<!-- |qid=Q60332354 -->
{{Infobox tunnel
|name        = The East Tunnel
|official_name = Østtunnelen
|image       =
|caption     =
|line        =
|location    = Great Belt
|coordinates = {{Coord|55|21|15|N|11|01|59|E|scale:30000_region:DK_type:landmark|display=inline}}
|system      =
|status      = Active
|start       = Halsskov
|end         = [[Sprogø]]
|stations    =
|startwork   =
|opened      = 
|close       =
|owner       =
|operator    =
|traffic     = Trains
|character   = Mainline railway
|construction=
|length      = {{convert|8024|m|mi}}
|linelength  =
|tracklength =
|notrack     =
|gauge       = {{RailGauge|sg}}
|el          = [[25 kV AC]] 50 Hz
|speed       =
|hielevation = {{convert|−15.1|m|ft|0}}<ref name="tobroer08" />
|lowelevation= {{convert|−75|m|ft|0}}<ref name="fakta" /><ref name="tobroer08" />
|height      =
|grade       = 16 ‰ (max)<ref name="tobroer08">{{cite web |url=http://www.sundogbaelt.dk/dk/Menu/Publikationer/Tobroer_08 |title=To broer og en tunnel 2008 |access-date=18 November 2008 |publisher=Sund & Bælt |date=May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619012113/http://www.sundogbaelt.dk/dk/Menu/Publikationer/Tobroer_08 |archive-date=19 June 2009}}</ref>
}}
The construction of the fixed link became the biggest building project in the history of Denmark. In order to connect Halsskov on [[Zealand]] with Knudshoved on [[Funen]], {{convert|18|km|mi}} to its west, a two-track railway and a four-lane motorway had to be built, via the small island of [[Sprogø]] in the middle of the Great Belt. The project comprised three different tasks: the East Bridge for road transport, the East Tunnel for rail transport and the West Bridge for road and rail transport combined. The construction work was carried out by Sundlink Contractors, a consortium of [[Skanska]], [[Hochtief]], [[MT Højgaard|Højgaard & Schultz]] (which built the West Bridge) and [[MT Højgaard|Monberg & Thorsen]] (which built the {{convert|8|km|spell=in|adj=on}} section under the Great Belt).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/denmark/ |title=Great Belt Fixed Link Rail and Road Project, Denmark |access-date=8 January 2011 |publisher=Railway Technology |archive-date=27 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727145742/https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/denmark/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The work of lifting and placing the elements was carried out by [[Ballast Nedam]] using a floating crane.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hochtief-construction.com/construction_en/30.jhtml?pid=6668 |title=The final span over the Öresund |access-date=8 January 2011 |publisher=Hochtief |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711172717/http://www.hochtief-construction.com/construction_en/30.jhtml?pid=6668 |archive-date=11 July 2011}}</ref>

=== East Bridge ===
Built between 1991 and 1998 at a cost of US$950 million,<ref>{{citation | url = http://enr.construction.com/engineering/pdf/sourcebook/global/2003-Top_Global_Sourcebook.pdf | title = Construction Facts - The Sourcebook of Statistics, Records and Resources | magazine = Engineering News Record | publisher = McGraw Hill | volume = 251, Number 20a | date = November 2003 | access-date = 9 August 2014 | archive-date = 4 September 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140904201609/http://enr.construction.com/engineering/pdf/sourcebook/global/2003-Top_Global_Sourcebook.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> the East Bridge (''Østbroen'') is a [[suspension bridge]] between Halsskov and Sprogø. It is {{convert|6790|m|mi|sigfig=4}} long with a free span of {{convert|1624|m|ft|0}},.<ref name="fakta">{{cite web |url=http://www.storebaelt.dk/omstorebaelt/fakta |title=Fakta og historie |access-date=18 November 2008 |publisher=A/S Storebælt |archive-date=3 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081103044144/http://www.storebaelt.dk/omstorebaelt/fakta |url-status=live }}</ref> The East Bridge had been planned to be completed in time to be the longest bridge in the world, but there were delays in construction. Therefore, it happened that the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge was opened two months earlier.

The vertical clearance for ships is {{convert|65|m|ft|0}}, meaning the world's largest cruise ship, an [[Oasis-class cruise ship|''Oasis''-class cruise ship]], just fits under with its smokestack folded.<ref>{{cite news | title = Largest cruise ship passes bridge challenge | date = 2009-11-01 | url = https://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/2009-11-01-cruise-ship-test_N.htm | work = USA Today | access-date = 2010-11-26}}</ref> At {{convert|254|m|ft|0}} above sea level, the two pylons of the East Bridge are the highest points on self-supporting structures in Denmark. Some radio masts, such as Tommerup transmitter, are taller.

{{Wide image|Great belt fixed link panorama.jpg|800px|Panoramic picture of the East Bridge}}

To keep the main cables tensioned, an anchorage structure on each side of the span is placed below the road deck. After 15 years, the cables have no [[rust]]. They were scheduled for a 15 million DKK paint job, but due to [[Forth Road Bridge#Structural issues|corroding cables on other bridges]], the decision was made to instead install a 70 million DKK sealed [[Dehumidifier|de-humidifying]] system in the cables. This was carried out by UK engineering firm [[Spencer Group]], with help from Danish subcontractors Davai who provided the manpower, and [[Belvent]] A/S who provided the dehumidification system.<ref>Andersen, Ulrik. '' ''[http://ing.dk/artikel/anlaeg-til-70-mio-kr-skal-toerlaegge-storebaeltsbroens-kabler-161923 "Drying the Great Belt Bridge cables"] (in Danish). ''[[Ingeniøren]]'', 20 September 2013. Accessed: 21 September 2013. [http://ing.dk/video/se-hvordan-storebaeltsbroens-kabler-bliver-omviklet-168222 Video of cable sleeving] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508061935/http://ing.dk/video/se-hvordan-storebaeltsbroens-kabler-bliver-omviklet-168222 |date=8 May 2014 }}</ref><ref>Brøndum, Christian. [http://www.b.dk/nationalt/pengemaskinen-paa-storebaelt-skal-op-i-fart "Pengemaskinen på Storebælt skal op i fart"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102030250/http://www.b.dk/nationalt/pengemaskinen-paa-storebaelt-skal-op-i-fart |date=2 November 2013 }}. ''[[Berlingske]]'', 18 September 2013. Accessed: 17 October 2013.</ref><ref>Kirchgässner, Martin. [http://ing.dk/artikel/specialister-paa-kravlende-platform-pakker-storebaeltsbroens-kabler-ind-168971 "Specialister på kravlende platform pakker Storebæltsbroens kabler ind"] [Specialists in crawling platforms wrap the cables of the Great Belt Bridge] (in Danish) ''[[Ingeniøren]]'', 15 June 2014. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807160809/https://ing.dk/artikel/specialister-paa-kravlende-platform-pakker-storebaeltsbroens-kabler-ind-168971|date=7 August 2018}}. Accessed: 15 June 2014.</ref>
Nineteen concrete pillars (12 on the Zealand side, seven by Sprogø), {{convert|193|m|ft|0}} apart, carry the road deck outside the span.

=== West Bridge ===
The West Bridge (''Vestbroen'') is a [[box girder bridge]]<ref name="structuraewest">{{cite web |url=http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0002357 |title=Great Belt West Bridge |access-date=18 November 2008 |publisher=Structurae |archive-date=11 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211125804/http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0002357 |url-status=live }}</ref> between Sprogø and Knudshoved. It is {{convert|6611|m|mi|sigfig=4}} long, and has a vertical clearance for ships of {{convert|18|m|ft|0}}.<ref name="fakta" /> It is actually two separate, adjacent bridges: the northern one carries rail traffic and the southern one road traffic. The pillars of the two bridges rest on common foundations below sea level.<ref>[http://www.uwphoto.dk/undervandssiden/Storebelt/storebelt.htm "Storebæltsbroen - nyt dykkersted i Danmark"] [The Great Belt Bridge: New diving place in Denmark]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215027/http://www.uwphoto.dk/undervandssiden/Storebelt/storebelt.htm |date=3 March 2016 }}.</ref> The West Bridge was built between 1988 and 1994; its road/rail deck comprises 63 sections, supported by 62 pillars.

=== East Tunnel ===
The twin bored tunnel tubes of the East Tunnel (''Østtunnelen'') are each {{convert|8024|m|mi|sigfig=4|abbr=in}} long.<ref name="fakta" /> There are 31 connecting tunnels between the two main tunnels, at {{convert|250|m|ft|0}} intervals. The equipment that is necessary for train operation in the tunnels{{Clarify|date=January 2010}} is installed in the connecting tunnels, which also serve as emergency escape routes.

There were delays and cost overruns in the tunnel construction. The plan was to open it in 1993, giving the trains a head start of three years over road traffic, but train traffic started in 1997 and road traffic in 1998. During construction the sea bed gave way and one of the tunnels was flooded. The water continued to rise and reached the end at Sprogø, where it continued into the (still dry) other tunnel. The water damaged two of the four [[tunnel boring machine]]s, but no workers were injured. Only by placing a clay blanket on the sea bed was it possible to dry out the tunnels. The two damaged machines were repaired and the majority of the tunnelling was undertaken from the Sprogø side. The machines on the Zealand side tunnelled through difficult ground and made little progress. A major fire on one of the Zealand machines in June 1994 stopped these drives and the tunnels were completed by the two Sprogø machines.

A total of 320 [[Breathing gas|compressed air]] workers were involved in 9,018 pressure exposures in the four tunnel-boring machines.<ref name="pmid12670120">{{cite journal |author=Andersen, H. L. |title=Decompression sickness during construction of the Great Belt Tunnel, Denmark |journal=[[Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Journal]] |volume=29 |issue=3 |pages=172–88 |year=2002 |pmid=12670120 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3909 |access-date=2010-11-14 |archive-date=2 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902162438/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/3909 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> The project had a [[decompression sickness]] incidence of 0.14% with two workers having long-term residual symptoms.<ref name="pmid12670120" />

== Traffic implications ==
{{Location map many | Denmark
| label = Great Belt Bridge 
| mark =Diamond_sheer_red_27.png | marksize = 27
| lat_deg=55.333333
| lon_deg=10.966667
| position = right
| float = right
| caption = Site of Great Belt Bridge in Denmark
| lat2_deg = 55.676111
| lon2_deg = 12.568333
| label2 = [[Copenhagen]]
| position2 = right
| lat3_deg = 55.395967
| lon3_deg = 10.388536
| label3 = [[Odense]]
| position3 = left
}}

[[File:Storebæltsbroen aerial.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the eastern portion, with the East Bridge, or Storebæltsbroen]]

Prior to the opening of the link, an average of 8,000 cars used the ferries across the Great Belt every day. The traffic across the strait increased 127 percent over the first year after the link's opening<ref>Claus F. Baunkjær. [http://www.femern.com/service-menu/press--documents/press-releases/cautious-traffic-assumptions-for-the-fehmarnbelt-project "Cautious traffic assumptions for the Fehmarnbelt project"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702184331/http://www.femern.com/service-menu/press--documents/press-releases/cautious-traffic-assumptions-for-the-fehmarnbelt-project |date=2 July 2015 }}. ''[[Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link]]''. 28 March 2013. Accessed 6 October 2013.</ref> due to the so-called traffic leap: new traffic generated by the improved ease, facility and lower price of crossing the Great Belt. In 2021, an average of 34,100 vehicles used the link each day. On 7 August 2022 a record 61,528 vehicles passed the bridge in 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.storebaelt.dk/omstorebaelt/trafiktal| title = Storebælt| access-date = 10 January 2009| archive-date = 24 November 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171124071345/https://www.storebaelt.dk/omstorebaelt/trafiktal| url-status = live}}</ref> The increase in traffic is partly caused by the general growth of traffic, partly diversion of traffic volume from other services via ferry and services.

The fixed link has produced considerable savings in travel time between eastern and western Denmark. Previously, it took approximately 90 minutes on average to cross the Great Belt in a car with transfer by ferry, including the waiting time at the ports. It took considerably longer during peak periods, such as weekends and holidays. With the opening of the link, the journey is now between 10 and 15 minutes.

By train the time savings are significant as well. The journey has been reduced by 60 minutes, and there are many more seats available because more carriages may be added to a train that does not have to fit on a ferry. The [[seating capacity]] offered by [[Danske Statsbaner|DSB]] across the Great Belt on an ordinary Wednesday has risen from 11,060 seats to 37,490 seats. On Fridays the [[seating capacity]] exceeds 40,000 seats.

The shortest travel times are: [[Copenhagen]]&ndash;[[Odense]] 1 hour 15 minutes, Copenhagen&ndash;[[Aarhus]] 2 hours 30 minutes, Copenhagen&ndash;[[Aalborg]] 3 hours 55 minutes and Copenhagen&ndash;[[Esbjerg]] 2 hours 35 minutes.

Flights between [[Copenhagen Airport|Copenhagen]] and [[Odense Airport|Odense]], and between Copenhagen and [[Esbjerg Airport|Esbjerg]] have ceased, and the train now has the largest market share between Copenhagen and Aarhus.

Together with the [[Øresund Bridge]], and the two Little Belt Bridges (the [[Little Belt Bridge|Old]] and the [[Little Belt Bridge (1970)|New]]), the link provides a direct fixed connection between western Continental Europe and northern Scandinavia, eventually connecting all parts of the [[European Union]] except Ireland, [[Malta]], [[Cyprus]], and outlying islands. Most people from Zealand still prefer to take the ferry between [[Puttgarden]] and [[Rødby]], as it is a much shorter distance and provides a needed break for those travelling a long distance.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}

For freight trains, the fixed links are a large improvement between Sweden and Germany, and between Sweden and the UK. The Sweden-to-Germany ferry system is still used to some extent owing to limited rail capacity, with heavy passenger traffic over the bridges and some single track stretches in southern Denmark and northern Germany.

The Great Belt was used by now defunct night passenger trains between Copenhagen and Germany, which were too long to fit on the ferries. Day trains on the Copenhagen-Hamburg route first continued to use the [[Fehmarn Belt]] ferries, utilising short diesel trains, but now also use the Great Belt route, which potentially allows longer trains to be used, increasing capacity.

By 2028, the [[Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link]] is expected to be complete with much of the international traffic being shifted from the Great Belt Fixed Link. This more direct route will reduce the rail journey from Hamburg to Copenhagen from 4:45 to 3:30 hours.

Cyclists are not permitted to use the bridge, but bicycles may be transported by train or bus.

===Toll charge===
[[File:Storebaelt toll area.jpg|thumb|right|The toll area at night. Each booth can be used for [[electronic toll collection]] (green booths), [[credit card]] (blue booths) or manual payment (yellow booths), depending on the load on each payment method.]]
In 2019, the vehicle tolls were:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.storebaelt.dk/english/toll-charges|title=Prices - Storebælt|publisher=Storebaelt.dk|access-date=2019-09-28|archive-date=23 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923111815/https://www.storebaelt.dk/english/toll-charges|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Vehicle !! One trip !! One day return !! Notes
|-
| Standard car || 245 DKK (€35) || Vary || Discounted price at 193.80 DKK for using [[BroBizz]] and being part of Club Storebælt.
|-
| Motorcycle || 130 DKK (€18) || (N/A) || Solo motorcycles only. Trailer combinations charged at 245 DKK (€35).
|-
| Motorhome, 6&ndash;10 m || 370 DKK (€52) || (N/A) || Total weight up to 3,500&nbsp;kg. Motorhomes over 3,500&nbsp;kg charged at 610 DKK (€85).
|-
| Tourist bus, 10&ndash;20 m|| 965 DKK (€135) || (N/A) || —
|-
| colspan=4 |Comparing with trains, shortest possible crossing of the Belt (Nyborg to Korsør): 106 DKK (standard ticket). Discounted DSB Orange ticket from 25 DKK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dsb.dk/|title=DSB: Find din togrejse og pris|website=www.dsb.dk|access-date=2019-09-28|archive-date=24 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624180339/https://www.dsb.dk/|url-status=live}}</ref>

|}

== Environmental effects ==
[[File:Storebaeltsbroen seen from above.JPG|thumb|right|The East Bridge as seen from above.]]
Environmental considerations have been an integral part of the project, and have been of decisive significance for the choice of alignment and determination of the design. Great Belt A/S established an [[environmental monitoring]] programme in 1988, and initiated co-operation with authorities and external consultants on the definition of environmental concerns during the construction work and the professional requirements to the monitoring programme. This co-operation issued in a report published at the beginning of 1997 on the state of the environment in the Great Belt. The conclusion of the report was that the marine environment was at least as good as before construction work began.

With regards to the water flow, the link must comply with the so-called zero-solution. This has been achieved by deepening parts of the Great Belt, so that the water flow cross section has been increased. This excavation compensates for the blocking effect caused by the bridge pylons and approach ramps. The conclusion of the report is that water flows are now almost at the level they were before the bridge was built.

The fixed link has generated increased road traffic volume, which has meant increased [[air pollution]]. However, there has been significant savings in the energy consumption by switching from ferries to the fixed link. Train and car ferries consume much energy for propulsion, high-speed ferries consume large amounts of energy at high speeds, and air transport is highly energy consuming. Domestic air travel over the Great Belt was greatly reduced after the opening of the bridge, with the former air travellers now using trains and private cars.

The larger energy consumption by ferries as opposed to via the fixed link is most clearly seen when comparing short driving distances from areas immediately east or west of the link. For more extended driving distances the difference in energy consumption is smaller, but any transport within Denmark across the link shows very clear energy savings.

During 2009, seven large wind turbines, likely [[Vestas]] 3&nbsp;MW totalling 21&nbsp;MW capacity, were erected in the sea north of Sprogø to contribute to the electrical demand of the Great Belt Link. Their hub heights are about the same level as the road deck of the suspension bridge. Part of the project was to showcase sea wind at the December 2009 Copenhagen climate meeting.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.windpower.org/composite-2152.htm |title=VINDMØLLEINDUSTRIEN - Sund & Bælt har fået Energistyrelsens ja til syv havvindmøller nord for Sprogø |language=da |access-date=2009-01-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603094859/http://www.windpower.org/composite-2152.htm |archive-date=3 June 2009}}</ref>

==Accidents==
During construction 479 work-related accidents were reported, of which 53 resulted in serious injuries or death.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.casa-analyse.dk/files/pdf/Ulykker_sygelighed_Camp_7.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128032604/http://www.casa-analyse.dk/files/pdf/Ulykker_sygelighed_Camp_7.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Wayback Machine|archivedate=28 November 2007|website=www.casa-analyse.dk}}</ref> Seven workers died as a result of work-related accidents.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/1997/04/feature/dk9704107f.htm| title = European Foundation for Improvement of Living and Working condition| access-date = 6 November 2007| archive-date = 30 September 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110930161203/http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/1997/04/feature/dk9704107f.htm| url-status = live}}</ref>

The West Bridge has been struck by sea traffic twice. While the link was still under construction on 14 September 1993, the ferry [[M/F Romsø]] drifted off course in bad weather and hit the West Bridge. At 19:17 on 3 March 2005, the 3,500-ton freighter [[MV Karen Danielsen]] crashed into the West Bridge 800 metres from Funen. The bridge reopened around 01:30, after the freighter was pulled free and inspectors had found no structural damage to the bridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1672740,00.html |title=Rammed ship: Skipper was drunk |access-date=2008-06-04 |publisher=[[News24 (website)|News24]] |date=2005-03-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621120416/http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1672740,00.html |archive-date=21 June 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bahamasmaritime.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/BMA-Investigation-Report-Allision-between-the-Karen-Danielsen-and-the-Great-Belt-West-Bridge-.pdf?swcfpc=1|title=KAREN DANIELSEN - Collision with the Great Belt West Bridge - 3 March 2005|website=Bahamas Maritime Authority|access-date=22 March 2025|archive-date=19 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019233159/https://www.bahamasmaritime.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/BMA-Investigation-Report-Allision-between-the-Karen-Danielsen-and-the-Great-Belt-West-Bridge-.pdf?swcfpc=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

The East Bridge has so far been in the clear, although on 16 May 2001, the bridge was closed for 10 minutes as the [[Cambodia]]n 27,000-ton [[bulk carrier]] ''Bella'' was heading straight for one of the anchorage structures. The ship was deflected by a swift response from the navy.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ing.dk/artikel/78326-storebaeltsbro-naer-paasejlet-af-fragtskib |title=Storebæltsbro nær påsejlet af fragtskib |access-date=2008-06-04 |newspaper=[[Ingeniøren]] |date=2001-05-16 |language=da |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116051425/http://ing.dk/artikel/78326-storebaeltsbro-naer-paasejlet-af-fragtskib |archive-date=16 January 2009}}</ref>

On 5 June 2006, a maintenance vehicle burst into flames in the east-bound railway tunnel at about 21:30. Nobody was hurt; its crew of three fled to the other tunnel and escaped. The fire was put out shortly before midnight, and the vehicle was removed from the tunnel the next day. Train service resumed on 6 June at reduced speed, and normal service was restored on 12 June.

On 2 January 2019, eight people were killed in [[Great Belt Bridge rail accident|a train accident]] on the West Bridge. A passenger train was hit by a [[semi-trailer]] that fell off a freight train travelling in the opposite direction.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/six-dead-in-train-accident-on-bridge-linking-denmark-islands-11596724|title=Eight killed in train accident on bridge linking Denmark islands|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-date=2 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102193418/https://news.sky.com/story/six-dead-in-train-accident-on-bridge-linking-denmark-islands-11596724|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2023, a 57-year-old truck driver was arrested by police after traffic on the bridge was disrupted due to spilled potatoes. Police stated that they were working on the hypothesis that the potatoes were either planted intentionally or as an accident.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/denmark-potatoes-storebaelt-bridge-truck-protest-a0426fd5eaf51841ffbb7e5f6cd4199c |title=In Denmark, potatoes on key bridge cause havoc |date=June 1, 2023 |publisher=[[AP News]] |access-date=June 5, 2023 |archive-date=5 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605120856/https://apnews.com/article/denmark-potatoes-storebaelt-bridge-truck-protest-a0426fd5eaf51841ffbb7e5f6cd4199c |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Operations ==

In 2009, a study characterized the rail tunnel (together with other major projects like the [[Channel Tunnel]] between England and France) as financially non-viable.<ref name=Flyvbjerg2009>{{cite journal| author=Flyvbjerg, B. | year=2009 | title=Survival of the Unfittest: Why the Worst Infrastructure Gets Built—and What We Can Do About It | journal=Oxford Review of Economic Policy | volume=25 | issue=3 | pages=344–367 | doi=10.1093/oxrep/grp024 | arxiv=1303.6571 }}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160px">
File:Storebæltsbroen 2.jpg|The East Bridge from below
File:Denmark Great Belt Bridge East.jpg| View from below the East Bridge south-east toward Korsør
File:GreatBeltBridgeInBirdsView.jpg|The East Bridge from the top of the eastern pylon
File:GreatBeltBridge.JPG|The East Bridge on a clear day
File:Storeb%C3%A6ltsbroen_close.jpg|A closeup of the two pylons
File:Allure of the Seas under the Storebaelts bridge.jpg|''[[Allure of the Seas]]'' passing under the East Bridge
File:StoreBaelt sunset 01.jpg|The East Bridge at sunset
File:StoreBaelt night 01.jpg|The East Bridge at night
File:The Great Belt Bridge, Eastern Bridge, August 2020 -01.jpg| The East Bridge at sunset seen from a ship
File:The Great Belt Bridge, Eastern Bridge, August 2020 -02.jpg| Passing under the East Bridge
File:Storebæltsbroen, Nyborg, Denmark (17358922531).jpg|West bridge
</gallery>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
*[[Fehmarn Belt fixed link]]
*[[Great Belt power link]]
*[[Little Belt]]
*[[Øresund Bridge]]
*[[List of road-rail bridges]]
* [[List of tallest structures in Denmark]]
{{div col end}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Storebæltsbroen}}
{{ external media
|float=right
| image1 =[http://ing.dk/galleri/kom-med-op-i-pylonerne-paa-storebaelt-161883#7 Photos from the pylons] [http://www.b.dk/nationalt/saa-flot-er-storebaeltsbroen-fra-de-skaeve-vinkler More photos]
}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050408213723/http://www.storebaelt.dk/www-storebaelt-dk/Engelsk/Broen/ Great Belt Bridge]
*[http://bridge-info.org/bridge/index.php?ID=23 Great Belt bridge on bridge-info.org]
*Great Belt Fixed Link is at coordinates {{Coord|55.326019|10.968475|type:landmark}}
*{{Structurae|id=10000004|title=Great Belt Fixed Link}}
*{{cite conference |last1=Steenfelt |first1=J. S. |last2=Hansen |first2=H. K. |url=https://vbn.aau.dk/en/publications/key-note-address-the-storeb%C3%A6lt-link-a-geotechnical-view |title=The Storebælt Link - a geotechnical view |conference=The Interplay between Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology : Proceedings of the Eleventh European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering |date=28 May 1995 |location=Copenhagen |publisher=Dansk Geoteknisk Forening }}
*{{cite conference |last1=Weight |first1=A.J. |url=http://www.bath.ac.uk/ace/uploads/StudentProjects/Bridgeconference2009/Papers/WEIGHT.pdf |title=Critical analysis of the Great Belt East Bridge, Denmark |date=April 2009 |conference=Proceedings of Bridge Engineering 2 Conference |publisher=University of Bath, Bath, UK |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223045601/http://www.bath.ac.uk/ace/uploads/StudentProjects/Bridgeconference2009/Papers/WEIGHT.pdf |archive-date=23 December 2018 }}

{{Landmarks of Funen}}
{{Bridge–tunnels}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|55|20|N|10|58|E|scale:100000_region:DK_type:landmark|display=title}}

[[Category:Suspension bridges in Denmark]]
[[Category:Tunnels in Denmark]]
[[Category:Box girder bridges]]
[[Category:Road bridges in Denmark]]
[[Category:Railway tunnels in Denmark]]
[[Category:Railway bridges in Denmark]]
[[Category:Bridge–tunnels in Europe]]
[[Category:Road-rail bridges]]
[[Category:Toll bridges in Denmark]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1997]]
[[Category:Tunnels completed in 1997]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1998]]
[[Category:Connections across the Baltic Sea]]
[[Category:Modernist architecture in Denmark]]
[[Category:Danish Culture Canon]]
[[Category:1997 establishments in Denmark]]
[[Category:1998 establishments in Denmark]]
[[Category:1990s architecture in Denmark]]
[[Category:Cross-sea bridges in Europe]]