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Bridge to nowhere

  • 30/10/1999

Bridge to nowhere  the longest European bridge ever is being built across the Oresund Strait between southern Sweden and Denmark. This is the only entry to the Baltic Sea. The question is why build a concrete monster when there is a speedy and efficient ferry service? I am only one of many Swedes and Danes appalled by this project, which threatens to jeopardise the fragile environment of the southernmost province of Skane.

The fight against the bridge has been going on for years, but the authorities concerned have chosen not to listen. The bridge will inevitably lead to increasing air pollution and exploitation of the fertile lands. The very ecology of Skane is at stake. The area forms the border between the northern and southern habitats of Scandinavia and has a unique mix of species. Catches of cod in the Oresund Strait have, even prior to the bridge construction, been found with serious defects caused by the prevalence of industrial waste.

Skane has the countries' most fertile lands. Now connecting highways, entry roads and terminal buildings will claim most of this precious land. One of Scandinavia's largest-ever investments in infrastructure, the Fixed Link across Oresund includes an eight-km-long bridge

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