Despite a year of delays on trains across the bridge caused by ID checks, auto traffic on the bridge that links Sweden and Denmark hit an annual record this year, with nearly 7 million cars.
The bridge, familiar to many TV viewers as the inspiration for the TV drama The Bridge, connects Copenhagen in Denmark with Malmo in Sweden, essentially making them into each other’s suburbs for a huge commuter total every day.
In fact, although authorities haven’t said so, the train delays may be part of the reason for the increase in cars. Many commuters complain that the ID checks implemented last year have cost them jobs, or long hours of waiting. The Swedish government is preparing to pay about $15 million in compensation, not to the commuters, but to the train operators, who have seen sales drop.
The bridge, first proposed in the 1930s, was finally opened in 1999. It’s actually a combination of bridges and a tunnel (below) that dips below the sound to provide an open channel for shipping.
