The Øresund Bridge - from vision to reality The Øresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark has realised the vision of the Øresund Region. In 2008, 70,000 people crossed the bridge by car or train every day. The Øresund Bridge The 16 km bridge across the Øresund waterway links Denmark and Sweden. The facility, one of the world's largest of its type, consists of a bridge, an artificial island and an immersed tunnel. The bridge section comprises two approach bridges, built on piers, and a high bridge across the Flintrännan navigation channel on the Swedish side. With its 490m long free span, the high bridge is the world's longest cable-stayed bridge for both road and railway. The artificial island of Peberholm was constructed from sand, clay, stone and limestone excavated from the Øresund seabed during the dredging for the bridge piers and the tunnel. Peberholm marks the transition from the bridge, where the motorway and railway run on two levels, to the tunnel where they run in parallel on one level. The tunnel consists of immersed tunnel elements under the Drogden channel on the Danish side. The construction of the Øresund Bridge was financed by loans raised in national and international capital markets based on joint and several guarantees from the two countries. Revenues must cover ongoing financing expenses and ensure the long-term repayment of the loans. Sustainable development Everyone shares in the responsibility for the environment, especially for matters relating to the climate. The Øresund Bridge has translated this responsibility into an environmental policy that can be summarised as follows: - We strive to reduce environmental impact from the link's operations - We consider the environment during the installation and maintenance of technical systems. - We comply with environmental legislation, protect our natural environment and pay attention to the surrounding environment - We contribute to reducing environmental impact from traffic on the link - We are open and informative about environmental issues With the opening of the Øresund Bridge and the discontinuation of the ferry services in the southern part of Øresund, greenhouse gas emissions were significantly reduced. Rail and road traffic have increased since the opening of the bridge in 2000, primarily as a result of an increase in car traffic between 2004 and 2007 when commuting increased significantly. Emission levels, however, remain well below what would have been the case had the ferry services still been in operation. The Øresund Region The Øresund Bridge has created one physically connected region of 3.6 million people with interlinked transport systems for Scania and Zealand and, in the process, has transformed  Copenhagen and Malmö into a new European metropolis. In turn, this has opened up an era of opportunity for people and businesses in the Øresund Region. Since its opening, the Øresund Bridge has become the daily route to work for thousands of Danish and Swedish commuters who account for most of the traffic growth. Owing to the difference in property prices between the two countries, a large number of Danes have decided to move to Malmö. Conversely, a large number of Swedes have chosen to work for companies in Copenhagen. As a result, up to 94 per cent of all commuters using the Øresund Bridge live in Scania. In 2008, 70,000 people crossed the bridge by car or train every day with a daily average of 19,400 vehicles. 95 per cent of these were passenger cars.