The Øresund Link: Environment, Stakeholders, and Hydroinformatics

"Øresundsbron" is the combined bridge and tunnel connecting Denmark and Sweden adjacent to Copenhagen. Øresundsbron was built and is operated by a consortium owned jointly by the Danish and Swedish states. The Link was inaugurated 1 July 2000 by the Queen of Denmark and the King of Sweden. The 16-km link across the Sound could potentially impact the water exchange between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and the dredging activities during construction were a threat to the local marine environment. The public interest in the environmental issues together with a pro-active environmental policy conducted by the owner of the link constituted the basis for an innovative environmental management plan that resulted in zero impact on the water exchange and full compliance with authorities regulations regarding the local environment. The environmental management was based on integrated use of hydrodynamic modelling, on line monitoring and access to all environmental information through a GIS based information system. The public attitude towards the project in general and the environmental impact in particular shifted from a very sceptical one at the beginning of the project to a very positive one towards the completion of the link. It is believed that the careful use of new technology both for environmental prediction and for public information has played a major role in this development.