The Great Belt Fixed Link (Danish: Storebæltsforbindelsen) runs between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen. It consists of a road suspension bridge and railway tunnel between Zealand and the island Sprogø, and a box girder bridge between Sprogø and Funen. The "Great Belt Bridge" (Danish: Storebæltsbroen) commonly refers to the suspension bridge, although it may also be used to mean the box-girder bridge or the link in its entirety. The suspension bridge, known as the East Bridge, has the world's third longest main span (1.6 km), the longest outside of Asia. It was designed by the Danish engineering firm COWI. The link replaced the ferry service that had been the primary means of crossing the Great Belt. After more than five decades of speculation and debate, the decision to construct the link was made in 1986;[2] the original intent was to complete the railway link three years before opening the road connection, but the link opened to rail traffic in 1997 and road traffic in 1998. At an estimated cost of DKK 21.4 billion (1988 prices),[3] the link is the largest construction project in Danish history.[4] Operation and maintenance are performed by A/S Storebælt under Sund & Bælt. Construction and maintenance are financed by tolls on vehicles and trains. The link has reduced travel times significantly; previously taking about an hour by ferry, the Great Belt can now be crossed in about ten minutes. The construction of the link and the Øresund Bridge have together enabled driving from mainland Europe to Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia through Denmark. Cyclists are not permitted to use the bridge, but cycles may be transported by train or bus. History The Great Belt ferries entered service between the coastal towns of Korsør and Nyborg in 1883, connecting the railway lines on either side of the Belt. In 1957, road traffic was moved to the Halsskov–Knudshoved route, about 1.5 kilometres to the north and close to the fixed link. Construction drafts for a fixed link were presented as early as the 1850s, with several suggestions appearing in the following decades. The Danish State Railways, responsible for the ferry service, presented plans for a bridge in 1934. In 1948, the Ministry for Public Works (now the Ministry of Transport) established a commission to investigate the implications of a fixed link.[5] The first law concerning a fixed link was enacted in 1973,[6] but the project was put on hold in 1978 as the Venstre (Liberal) party demanded postponing public spending. Political agreement to restart work was reached in 1986, with a construction law (Danish: anlægslov) being passed in 1987.[7] The design was carried out by the engineering firm COWI together with Dissing+Weitling architecture practice . Construction of the link commenced in 1988. In 1991, Finland sued Denmark at the International Court of Justice, on the grounds that Finnish-built mobile offshore drilling units would be unable to pass beneath the bridge. The two countries negotiated a financial compensation of 90 million Danish kroner, and Finland withdrew the lawsuit.[8] Construction The West Bridge Storebæltsbroen2.jpg The West bridge (foreground) seen from Nyborg at Funen. Official name Vestbroen Carries Motor vehicles, trains Crosses Great Belt Maintained by A/S Storebælt Design Box girder bridge Total length 6,611 metres (21,690 ft) Width 25 metres (82 ft) Longest span 110 metres (361 ft) Piers in water 62 Clearance below 18 metres (59 ft) Opened 1 June 1997 (rail traffic) 14 June 1998 (road traffic) Coordinates 55°18′42″N 10°54′23″E The East Tunnel Overview Location Great Belt Coordinates 55°21′15″N 11°01′59″E Status Active Start Halsskov End Sprogø Operation Opened 1 June 1997 Traffic Trains Character Mainline railway Technical Length 8,024 metres (4.986 mi) Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Electrified 25 kV AC 50 Hz Highest elevation −15.1 metres (−50 ft)[9] Lowest elevation −75 metres (−246 ft)[3][9] Grade 16 ‰ (max)[9] The construction of the fixed link became the biggest building project in the history of Denmark. In order to connect Halsskov on Zealand with Knudshoved on Funen, 18 kilometres to its west, a two-track railway and a four-lane motorway had to be built, via the small island of Sprogø in the middle of the Great Belt. The project comprised three different tasks: the East Bridge for road transport, the East Tunnel for rail transport and the West Bridge for road and rail transport combined. The construction work was carried out by Sundlink Contractors, a consortium of Skanska, Hochtief, Højgaard & Schultz (which built the West Bridge) and Monberg & Thorsen (which built the eight-kilometre section under the Great Belt).[10] The work of lifting and placing the elements was carried out by Ballast Nedam using a floating crane.[11]

 Sumber : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Belt_Bridge