Storstrøm Bridge
| Storstrøm Bridge | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Carries | Road and railway |
| Crosses | Storstrømmen |
| Locale | Denmark |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 3,199 metres |
| Width | 9 m |
| Longest span | 136 metres |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Dorman Long |
| Construction end | 1937 |
| Opened | September 1937 |
Storstrøm Bridge (Danish, Storstrømsbroen) is a road and railway arch bridge that crosses Storstrømmen between the islands of Falster and Masnedø in Denmark.
Together with Masnedsund Bridge it connects Falster and Zealand (Sjælland). It was the main road connection between the islands until the Farø Bridges were opened in 1985. It is still part of the railway connection between the islands of Lolland, Falster, and Zealand. It is on the rail line between Copenhagen and Hamburg, Germany.
Measures
The Storstrøm Bridge is 3,199 metres long and 9 metres wide. The longest span is 136 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 26 metres. The road is 5½ metres wide. Storstrøm Bridge was opened by King Christian X on 26 September 1937.
Construction
The bridge was commissioned by the Danish state railways (De Danske Statsbaner) and designed by them with assistance from Christiani and Nielsen A/S of Copenhagen. Construction was by Dorman Long, with Christiani and Nielsen acting as sub-contractors responsible for foundations and reinforced concrete sections. The contract for the work was signed on 13 May 1933. Bridge designer Anker Engelund and chief civil engineer Guy Anson Maunsell.
The bridge has 49 piers of different heights, extending to a maximum water depth of 13,8 metres. Each pier rests upon concrete foundations cast on the excavated bed of the sea, inside a cofferdam. Some piers could be excavated and cast with the cofferdam empty of water, where the soil was sufficiently waterproof, but others had to be excavated and cast underwater. Steel sheet piles were driven into the bed around the cofferdam. The foundations were continued upwards to a level 3 metres below the water surface.
The section of pier from 3 metres below water level to 3 metres above was made from pre-cast and granite clad concrete shells. These were set into position and then filled with concrete. The remainder of the height of each pier was created using sliding steel forms. The upper sections of the piers are hollow. Piers full height extends to a maximum of 38 metres.
Upgrade
The railway to the Fehmarn Belt is planned to be double-tracked before the year 2018, as the planned Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link may increase traffic. However, there are no immediate plans to replace or extend the Storstrøm Bridge, which has only single track.
Still, constructing a new bridge is in discussion from 2011, since the bridge has been found to be in a poor state. In October -November 2011 all train traffic was cancelled immediately after an inspection finding damages. The main plan is to repair everything, but there are doubts on the ability of the bridge to handle the future freight traffic. The cost of a new bridge would be more than 3 bn DKK (400 M€). In August 2012 the Danish government allocated funds for the construction of a new bridge.[1] The Danish parliament approved the construction in July 2016.[2] Construction start is expected in 2017 with opening scheduled for 2022.
Location
Bridge location on Google Maps
Cultural links
In 1950 Carl Dreyer one of Denmark's most famous filmmakers, normally known for his drama productions, made a short documentary about the bridge.
See also
References
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Storstrom Bridge. |
- Storstrøm Bridge at Structurae
- The Storstrøm Bridge - Highways-Denmark.com
- Pictures of Storstrøm Bridge
- Pictures of and data about Storstrøm and Masnedsund Bridges
- Christiani and Nielsen page about the bridges
- Danish government short film about the bridge, written by Carl Dreyer
- Data on Danish bridges
Coordinates: 54°57′58″N 11°53′05″E / 54.96611°N 11.88472°E