The Öland Bridge ( Swedish: ''Ölandsbron'') is a road bridge in Sweden that spans the Kalmar Strait, between Jutnabben in Kalmar on the mainland and Möllstorp in Algutsrum parish near Färjestaden on

Öland Öland (, ; ; sometimes written ''Oland'' internationally) is the second-largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. ...

in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. It is a long beam bridge with a clear bridge width of . Maximum height , minimum height . The bridge is built of

reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...

in 155 spans, including the high bridge section in 6 spans of , and has a characteristic hump at its western end which was created to provide a vertical clearance of for

shipping Freight transport, also referred to as freight forwarding, is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been ...

. The Öland Bridge is one of the longest in all of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

(the longest one until completion of Vasco da Gama Bridge in 1998) and currently Sweden's longest bridge, if one only compares the bridge sections that are on Swedish territory (the Öresund Bridge, which is longer, is partly built on Danish territory). A little to the

south South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

of the western end of the bridge a small

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, by wheelchair or with other mobility aids. Streets and roads often have a designated footpath for pedestrian traffic, called the '' sidewalk'' in North American English, the ''pavement'' in British En ...

and

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered transport, human-powered or motorized bicycle, motor-assisted, bicycle pedal, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two bicycle wheel, wheels attached to a ...

bridge, around 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. The road crossing the bridge is County Road 137, which connects to the E22 on the mainland, and County Road 136 on Öland.

Construction

The plan for a fixed link between Öland and the Swedish mainland had existed for a long time and led to a number of motions in the Swedish parliament and inquiries. The first concrete proposal was presented in 1932, and in the 1950s the question of the Öland Bridge was raised. Parliamentary politician Fritz Börjesson was a strong driving force for a fixed link between Kalmar and Öland. Another advocate was Uno Danielson, a

forester A forester is a person who practises forest management and forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including ecological restoration and management of protected areas. Fores ...

on Öland. On 18 November 1966, the Swedish government adopted a plan for the construction of major bridges, which included the Öland Bridge. The first sod was turned on the

Småland Småland () is a historical Provinces of Sweden, province () in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name ''Småland'' literally means "small la ...

side by then Minister of Communications Svante Lundkvist ( S) on 30 December 1967. On the Öland side, the first sod was turned on 4 January 1968 by MP Fritz Börjesson ( C). The Öland Bridge was inaugurated on 30 September 1972. Among the speakers at the

ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin, via the Latin . Religious and civil ...

, which took place on the

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

side of the bridge, was the

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

Carl Gustaf. The bridge cost 80 million

Swedish kronor The krona (; plural: ''kronor''; currency sign, sign: kr; ISO 4217, code: SEK) is the currency of Sweden. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use for the krona; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usual ...

to build. Construction took 4.5 years, and about of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

was used. The bridge was also prepared for transporting

fresh water Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salt (chemistry), salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include ...

from the mainland to Öland. The bridge project received much support, but there were also

protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

s. 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.Already in connection with the decision to build the Ölandsbron, emigration from Öland was reversed. A large number of homes began to be built in Färjestaden and the surrounding area. The Öland Bridge cost SEK 130 million to build.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oland bridge Bridges completed in 1972 Bridges in Sweden Öland Buildings and structures in Kalmar County 1972 establishments in Sweden 20th-century establishments in Kalmar County

Construction

See also

References

External links