The idea of building a connection between Sweden and Denmark has existed for a long time, with plans for train travel between the countries included from the beginning. In the first concrete proposal from the 1880s, there was provision for steam locomotives to cross the bridge.

Already in the 1940s, the proposal that has now become the bridge began to take shape. A challenge in the bridge discussions during the 1950s was the fact that Sweden had left-hand traffic and Denmark right-hand traffic. In 1991, the Swedish and Danish governments agreed on a bridge and tunnel connection between Malmö and Copenhagen. Four years later, work on the Öresund Bridge began.

The Öresund Link consists of a 7.8-kilometre-long bridge section with approaches; the Öresund Bridge. The approximately 4 kilometres closest to Denmark consist of a tunnel because a high bridge span would have posed a danger to air traffic at Kastrup Airport. To transition from bridge to tunnel, the island of Pepparholm was created, approximately 4 kilometres in length.

The Öresund Bridge holds a whole host of records. For instance, the bridge section is the world's longest cable-stayed bridge for both road and rail traffic. Additionally, the four pylons supporting the bridge are the tallest structures in the Nordic region, standing at 203.5 metres (approximately 10 metres taller than the Turning Torso).

Facts:
Construction Period: 1995-2000
Cost: Approximately 20 billion Swedish kronor
Length: 16 kilometres (7845 metres bridge, 3510 metres tunnel, and 4055 metres on land)
Height: 203.5 metres