Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Sweden - Öland Bridge

 

Stamp Issue : 1986-08-07 

Öland Bridge (Swedish: Ölandsbron) is a road bridge connecting Kalmar on mainland Sweden to Färjestaden (Ferry Town) on the island of Öland to its east. It is 6,072 m long, supported on 156 pillars, and has a characteristic hump at its western end – created to provide a vertical clearance of 36 m for shipping.
A little to the south of the western end of the bridge a small wooden pedestrian and cycle bridge, around 150 m in length and connecting the island of Svinö to the mainland, echoes the form of the Öland bridge. This "replica" is clearly visible to anyone crossing to Öland via the main bridge.
The bridge is the longest in Sweden and one of the longest in all Europe. The Oresund Bridge linking Sweden with Denmark is longer overall, but not that part of it lying wholly within Sweden.


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