Gedser-Rostock bridge
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This article or section contains information about a planned or proposed future bridge. It may contain speculative information; the content may change as the construction or completion of the bridge approaches. |
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The Gedser-Rostock bridge is a proposed project to link the Danish island of Falster with the German city of Rostock, stretching 40-45 kilometres (25-28 miles) across the Baltic Sea. The proposal is an alternative to the Fehmarn Belt bridge.
The bridge (or tunnel) would complete the European route E55 and be the main link between Scandinavia and Berlin. Today, Gedser and Rostock are linked by the Scandlines ferries who also operate a Fehmarn Belt line.
If completed, it would be the longest bridge in the world stretching a body of water. If built as a tunnel, it would still be the longest underwater tunnel in the world, but measured by total tunnel length the Seikan Tunnel and the Channel Tunnel are longer. It would also be the only bridge across open sea and not a named strait, belt, sound or channel.
Although the distance is twice as long as across the Fehmarn Belt, the bridge could be built in part as a low bridge since water depths are more shallow than in the Fehmarn Belt. The Gedser Reef offers depths of less than 10 metres (33 ft) for some 15 km (9 mi) to the southeast of Gedser.
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[edit] Arguments
Proponents argue the Gedser-Rostock bridge is much better situated as a link from Scandinavia to Berlin and high-growth areas in Eastern/Central Europe (especially Poland). The distance between Copenhagen and Berlin is 140 km (87 mi) shorter by Gedser-Rostock as compared to by the Fehmarn Belt. From Copenhagen to Munich, 160 km (99 mi) are saved, and from Copenhagen to Poland, 230 km (143 mi). The Gedser-Rostock link has seen continuous traffic growth and in recent years a great number of Danes have bought second flats in Berlin.[who?]
The Fehmarn Belt project is said[weasel words] to be a vision dating from the Cold War when it would have formed the obvious link from Copenhagen to Hamburg and Western Europe. Also, Hamburg already today is a bottleneck for road and rail traffic. The viability of the Fehmarn Belt bridge has been questioned, claiming the official traffic growth expectations are unrealistic. It is also argued Rostock is a major city and port, whereas the German side of the Fehmarn Belt (Eastern Holstein) is a rural area with limited economic potential.
The drawback of the Gedser-Rostock solution, apart from its greater length, is the journey from Copenhagen to Hamburg will be increased by 60 km (37 mi). The current ferries across the Fehmarn Belt would, however, offer an alternative if they continue to operate.
[edit] Political views
The Danish Social Liberal Party and the Danish People's Party said on 3 June 2007 that they favoured the Gedser-Rostock bridge. They were supported by traffic researchers and a consultant from the German Ministry of Traffic.[1]
The Danish transport minister Flemming Hansen (Conservatives) rejected the Gedser-Rostock proposal on 4 June 2007, claiming it would put the process "ten years back". The Social Democrats, who agree with the Government in this matter, mainly saw the new proposal as an attempt to derail the process, but also said that "if the Germans won't join in, but wish something else, then we will of course listen".[2]
On 29 June 2007, the Danish and German authorities agreed to support the Fehmarn Belt bridge project rather than the Gedser-Rostock bridge.[3].
[edit] Landside connections
The current state of landside roads and railways forms a picture opposite to that of the Fehmarn Belt project. This explains, in part, why the Danish government has reacted very negatively to the Gedser-Rostock proposal.
For Fehmarn Belt, Germany would need to complete 25 km (16 mi) more motorway, construct an alternative to the two-lane Fehmarn Sound bridge, and improve railways, whereas the E47 motorway is near-complete on the Danish side.
For Gedser-Rostock, the landside burden would be tilted to the disadvantage of Denmark, needing to build another 35 km (22 mi) of motorway, whereas Rostock is already well-attached to the German Autobahn system.
