The Øresund Bridge-Tunnel (14 photos)
Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmö, Sweden, are connected by a truly unique combined road and rail bridge-tunnel. 
1. Construction of the Øresund Bridge-Tunnel began in 1995 and was completed on August 14, 1999. Despite a couple of major setbacks along the way—including the discovery of 18 unexploded World War II bombs on the seabed and a misaligned tunnel segment—the project was finished three months ahead of schedule. 
2. The completion of construction was marked by a symbolic meeting between Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in the middle of the bridge. The official grand opening took place on July 1, 2000, hosted by the monarchs themselves: Queen Margrethe II and King Carl XVI Gustaf. 
3. The ambitious project was made possible in part because both Denmark and Sweden belong to the Schengen Area, which eliminated passport checks and simplified customs procedures between the two nations. 
4. Initially, toll prices were steep as authorities tried to recoup the project's unprecedented costs, keeping traffic light. However, traffic surged in 2005–2006. Analysts attribute this boom to Danes buying affordable homes in Malmö—given Danish wage levels—and commuting across the Øresund Bridge to work in Denmark. To support these daily commuters, discounts of up to 75% were introduced. 
5. In 2008, the toll for a car was €36.30 (260 DKK or 325 SEK). Throughout 2007, nearly 25 million people crossed the bridge—over 15 million by car and nearly 10 million by train. 
6. The Øresund Bridge features a double-track railway and a four-lane motorway. Extending over a total length of 7,845 meters, its superstructure rests on concrete piers spaced every 140 meters. The main span provides 57 meters of vertical clearance, allowing most ships to pass comfortably underneath—though many vessels prefer navigating over the tunnel itself. The bridge merges into this tunnel on an artificial island named Peberholm (Pepper Islet) due to its shape. 
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8. Embracing their signature sense of humor, the Danes nicknamed the nearby natural island just to the north Saltholm (Salt Islet). Peberholm itself stretches 4 kilometers long with an average width of 500 meters, constructed from rock blasting debris and tons of seabed material dredged during bridge construction. 
9. Connecting Peberholm to the artificial Kastrup peninsula on the Danish island of Amager is the 4-kilometer Drogden Tunnel. More precisely, it spans 4,050 meters, including two 270-meter entry portals and a 3,510-meter submerged tube. 
10. To construct the tunnel, 20 reinforced concrete segments weighing 55,000 tons each were lowered into a dredged trench on the seabed and joined together. The Drogden Tunnel consists of five separate tubes: two for rail traffic, two for road traffic, and a smaller fifth tube reserved for emergency exits and services. 
11. Why build such a unique hybrid bridge-tunnel across the strait? Why did both governments incur the extra cost and complexity of a tunnel? The primary reason was Copenhagen Airport's close proximity, where a conventional high-rise bridge would have interfered with flight paths. Additionally, the design ensured unobstructed maritime traffic through the Øresund Strait.
12. Over 30 billion Danish kroner (at the 2000 exchange rate) was spent constructing the Øresund Bridge-Tunnel—an investment expected to pay for itself by 2035. Furthermore, to expand the rail connections from the bridge, Sweden invested an additional 9.45 billion Swedish kronor in 2006 for the Malmö City Tunnel, which was completed in 2011. 
13. In 2010, the bridge toll was €39 for cars, €21 for motorcycles, and €9 for train tickets. Tolls have continued to rise since then; today, driving across the Øresund Bridge-Tunnel costs around €43. 
14. The Swedish city of Malmö is widely known for its striking landmark skyscraper, the Turning Torso.
