How the Øresund Bridge changed Denmark and Sweden forever

It is one of the most spectacular and longest bridges in Europe, and this year it turns a quarter of a century old: Since July 1, 2000, the Øresund Bridge has connected the Danish capital, Copenhagen, with Sweden's third-largest city, Malmö. Thanks to it, people on both sides of the strait are much closer today than they once were. Not only spatially, but also emotionally. Furthermore, the bridge has contributed significantly to growth and prosperity – in the region and in both countries as a whole.

The silver anniversary is being celebrated with corresponding grandeur in Denmark and Sweden. And even on the bridge itself, high above the rolling waves of the Baltic Sea estuary: This Sunday, 40,000 athletes will run a half marathon between the four mighty, more than 200-meter-high bridge pylons.

Interest in this special race is immense: When the starting places went on sale in February a year ago, the website initially collapsed under the weight of requests. After two hours, all the places were gone; hundreds of thousands of runners missed out. For many, the race is not just a sport, but above all a declaration of love for the monument.

And that's certainly not an opportunity that comes along often: This anniversary year marks only the third time the starting gun has been fired for such a symbolic half marathon across the bridge. The running event premiered a few days before the official opening of the 82,000-ton reinforced concrete structure. Ten years later, the first revival took place, and since then, runners have had to practice patience until they can finally lace up their running shoes again.

The opportunities to cross the route are so carefully planned because, after all, half of a highway has to be closed for this purpose. And even on the remaining lanes, traffic will only be able to cross the bridge with severe restrictions on Sunday, June 15.

Ultimately, the vibrant lifeline of the entire region will be virtually shut down for one day – to celebrate its immense importance for the everyday lives of the people on both shores of the Sound. And this very importance, says Linus Eriksson, cannot be overestimated. "The integration and cooperation between the two countries have never been better than it is now," explains the CEO of the consortium that operates the bridge proudly. "And I am certain that the best years are still ahead of us." Because now, a few years after the coronavirus pandemic, the signs are pointing fully toward growth again.

Last year, Eriksson's company earned the largest profit in its history: more than 7.5 million crossings across all vehicle categories were recorded on the expressway, where crossing the Sound today takes barely more than 15 minutes. Before the bridge, crossing by ferry took three times as long – plus any waiting time if you missed a boat.

Even though this new record brought substantial toll revenue into the company's coffers, the Øresund figures become truly impressive when you consider the trains that run on the bridge's "basement." They connect Malmö and Copenhagen so closely, running every 15 minutes, that the cities have grown together in a kind of symbiotic relationship. Statistics show that an impressive 38 million travelers crossed the Øresund in 2024 using all different modes of transport.

That's enormous—after all, Denmark has a total of just six million people, and Sweden 10.5 million. The magnitude becomes more understandable, however, when you consider that two-thirds of all Danes and one-third of all Swedes live in the bridge's catchment area. And they also work there: The vast majority of the 38 million people crossing were on their way to work and returning home after work.

In this respect, the great hopes that accompanied the bridge project were fulfilled soon after the ceremonial opening of the connection by Denmark's then Queen Margrethe II and Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf: In a very short time, the Øresund Bridge created a common labor and housing market across the sea – from which both countries benefit.

Not only did it give Swedish citizens access to jobs in the Danish capital region, but it also made vacation trips from Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport more attractive. For Danes, the crossing 25 years ago created an opportunity to escape the exorbitant real estate prices in their capital and find cheaper housing in the neighboring country.

Enthusiastic about the bridge's success: Linus Eriksson, CEO of the Øresundsbron operating consortium.

Source: Lars Dareberg

More people – almost two-thirds are men – still commute early in the morning from Sweden to Denmark than the other way around. But commuter traffic in the other direction is also increasing. Many see this as a clear sign that southern Sweden, in particular, continues to benefit greatly from being closer to Copenhagen.

And a sign that the success story of the Øresund Bridge, which Øresundsbron CEO Eriksson never tires of raving about, is finally being continued. In his company's name, the Danish Ø combines with the Swedish spelling of the word "bron," meaning bridge. Listening to him, it seems a little as if he's desperately trying to make people forget the crisis atmosphere of the coronavirus years of 2020 and 2021. During those years, the border between the two countries was partially closed, and traffic volumes plummeted dramatically. At the Øresund, one suddenly became aware that one was living in two states.

When many companies continued to work from home even after the pandemic, many believed that the integration of the Øresund region had probably reached its natural limit. Indeed, the global financial crisis of 2008 had already had a significant impact on the region's balance sheets. Stagnation prevailed on both sides of the shoreline, and thus also on the bridge.

Currently, however, the Swedish-Danish border region is on the up again: This new growth phase is being fueled by the record-strong Danish labor market on the one hand and the weak Swedish krona on the other. Experts in both countries also agree that the construction costs, which at the time amounted to up to four billion euros, have long since paid for themselves. The economic benefits of the project are now many times the original investment, they unanimously agree.

The national colors of Sweden and Denmark mark the border between the two kingdoms – high above the waves of the Øresund.

Source: Johan Nilsson/Oresundsbron

The joint project between the two kingdoms was decided upon in March 1991, when the economies of both countries were struggling. The idea was that not only the completed crossing would generate growth, but that its construction alone would stimulate the economy. It would have been significantly cheaper to build a fixed crossing just 50 kilometers further north, where the Øresund is only four kilometers wide. Even today, ferries commute between Helsingør in Denmark and Helsingborg in Sweden. However, those responsible deliberately opted for the direct connection between the two major metropolitan areas of Copenhagen and Malmö – even though the distance across the sea is four times greater at this point.

But it wasn't just the length that made planning challenging. Because the Danish capital's airport is located directly on the sea, a continuous bridge was also out of the question. Instead, the result was a sophisticated combination of a 7.8-kilometer-long cable-stayed bridge and the approximately four-kilometer-long Drogden Tunnel. The two are connected by an artificial island called Peberholm, located in the middle of the Sound.

All of this was built between 1995 and 1999. The foundations and piers for the bridge were manufactured in Malmö, the individual segments for the roadway and railway line in Karlskrona and Cádiz (Spain), and the total of twenty tunnel elements in Copenhagen.

Construction of the Drogden Tunnel in the Øresund: The elements were manufactured in Copenhagen.

Source: Øresund Bridge

Now, a quarter of a century later, Denmark is once again building tunnel sections. The kingdom is currently building the world's longest immersed tunnel between Lolland and Fehmarn. It will be more than 18 kilometers long; completion is scheduled for 2029. The travel time for a train from Hamburg to Copenhagen is expected to be reduced to two and a half hours once the hinterland connection is completed. Currently, passengers typically spend twice as long in the carriage.

The new direct connection is expected to weld Northern Germany's largest metropolis even more closely with Southern Scandinavia. In Denmark's capital, the massive infrastructure project is therefore seen as nothing less than the logical continuation of all previous bridges – from the Great Belt to the Øresund. In this logic, the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is simply the next stage of expansion.

But the existing structure also requires constant work: The Øresund Bridge is currently receiving a new coat of paint to ensure its continued protection against corrosion and harmful weather influences. The painting project is not expected to be completed until 2032, and it will likely be necessary to repaint the areas where the new gray paint coat was applied in 2020 quite soon.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the Øresund Bridge was illuminated in the organization's colors, white and blue, on 24 October 2020.

Source: Lars Dareberg

As unspectacular as the color scheme is by day, it becomes all the more impressive at night. Since its inauguration in 2000, the four pylons of this unique structure have been illuminated every evening as an architectural masterpiece with special lighting.

Visible from afar, like lighthouses.