The Farø Bridges

The Farø Bridges were constructed in the 1980s to ease traffic pressure across the stretch of water known as Storstrømmen. The bridges were constructed for the Danish Road Directorate.

The bridges were constructed in the 1980s. They consist of a low-level and high-level bridge with a combined length of 3,322 metres. We built the substructure, including the characteristic pylons, and the superstructure.

Traffic pressure eased

The Farø Bridges were constructed because the old Storstrøm Bridge from 1937 was unable to handle the increasing volume of traffic between Zealand and Lolland-Falster. To relieve the pressure, a new four-lane motorway bridge was constructed.

Denmark's first cable-stayed bridge

The two Farø Bridges are among the longest in Europe. The 1,596 metre-long northern bridge connects Zealand with Farø, while the 1,726 metre-long southern bridge connects Farø with Falster. The latter was Denmark's first cable-stayed bridge, the longest span of which is 290 metres.

A modern steel box girder

The original concrete girder design was put out to tender in 1979, but we proposed a modern steel box girder design, which was accepted by the client, the Danish Road Directorate. COWI assisted us on the alternative design and also made the detailed design for the client.

The fabrication and erection scheme for these steel bridges presented many challenges, including industrialised fabrication, dehumidification plants, placing of heavy bridge sections, wind load during the erection stages, and control of deck and cable geometry.