The Øresund Bridge connects Sweden and Denmark, but it isn't just a bridge. Near the Danish side, it transitions into an artificial island called Peberholm and plunges into the Drogden Tunnel. Engineers faced a massive dilemma during planning: Copenhagen Airport’s flight paths lay directly in the path of high bridge towers, making tall suspension structures an aviation hazard.
Conversely, building a bridge low to the water would block vital international maritime traffic through the Øresund Strait. A full tunnel along the entire 16-kilometer distance was astronomically expensive and logistically daunting. The solution was a hybrid marvel: a high-cable bridge from Sweden dropping down onto a purpose-built 4-kilometer long artificial island, which leads into an underwater immersed tube tunnel.
Peberholm was constructed using material dredged from the seabed, shaped specifically to prevent ecological disruption. By routing the road and rail traffic underground for the final stretch into Denmark, engineers preserved open skies for Kastrup Airport, maintained open sea lanes for heavy shipping, and unwittingly created a vibrant biological reserve on Peberholm, where human access is strictly restricted.