Construction
| The West Bridge | |
|---|---|
The West bridge (foreground) as seen from Nyborg at Funen. |
|
| Official name | Vestbroen |
| Carries | Motor vehicles, trains |
| Crosses | Great Belt |
| Maintained by | A/S Storebælt |
| Design | Box girder bridge |
| Total length | 6,611 metres (21,690 ft) |
| Width | 25 metres (82 ft) |
| Longest span | 110 metres (361 ft) |
| Piers in water | 62 |
| Clearance below | 18 metres (59 ft) |
| Opened | 1 June 1997 (rail traffic) 14 June 1998 (road traffic) |
| Coordinates | 55°18′42″N 10°54′23″E / 55.31167°N 10.90639°E / 55.31167; 10.90639 |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Great Belt |
| Coordinates | 55°21′15″N 11°01′59″E / 55.35417°N 11.03306°E / 55.35417; 11.03306 |
| Status | Active |
| Start | Halsskov |
| End | Sprogø |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1 June 1997 |
| Traffic | Trains |
| Character | Mainline railway |
| Technical | |
| Length | 8,024 metres (4.986 mi) |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Electrified | 25 kV AC 50 Hz |
| Highest elevation | −15.1 metres (−50 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | −75 metres (−246 ft) |
| Grade | 16 ‰ (max) |
The construction of the fixed link across the Great Belt became the biggest building project ever in the history of Denmark. In order to connect Halsskov on Zealand with Knudshoved on Funen, 18 kilometres to its west, a two-track railway and a four-lane motorway had to be built, aligned via the small island of Sprogø in the middle of the Great Belt. In general terms, the project comprised three different construction 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, Højgaard & Schultz (which built the West Bridge) and Monberg & Thorsen (which built the eight kilometre section under the Great Belt). The work of lifting and placing the elements was carried out by Ballast Nedam using a floating crane.
Read more about this topic: Great Belt Fixed Link
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