Scandinavian bridge brings mixed blessings

In this story: Differences create diversity and problems Paying a high price for integration RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Jenna Milly, CNN.com writer

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Seven thousand years ago the ice bridge that linked Scandinavia with Europe melted into the Baltic Sea, dividing one land into two. Today, a 21st century bridge that took 10 years to plan and construct, connects the two once again.

The Oresund bridge reduces commuting time between Sweden and Denmark to 15 minutes

On the surface, the bridge between Denmark and Sweden provides quick and easy access for commuters, shoppers and anyone else who wants to drive a car across Oresund Straight. But psychologically, the connection between the two countries has changed.

Before the bridge was built, crossing the straight took more than one hour by ferry. Now, the commute takes 15 minutes and passengers can travel by car or train.

"Right now, we are in a state of euphoria," says Lars Bernhard Jorgensen, director of Wonderful Copenhagen, a group that works in conjunction with the Oresund Identity Network.

Both organisations are dedicated to increasing awareness about the newly-declared Oresund Region, which encompasses eastern Denmark and southern Sweden.

Phrases like "Business is hot and life is cool" and "Culture is borderless" can be heard floating around the marketing department of the Oresund Identity Network in Copenhagen.

The joint project between Danish and Swedish officials aims to develop the region into a new investment area for business, tourism and education.

Separately, the areas are weak in comparison to other communities, but together, they can combine their economic strong points.

Bringing together the people, work force, education and business builds a more attractive atmosphere to investors, according to the promoters of the region.

Jorgensen boasts that Nokia has offices in Oresund because of the large student population, which totals 130,000 in the combined 11 universities.

DaimlerChrysler is also looking into the area as a possible new factory location. When asked about the target audience for investors, Jorgensen's answer includes contacts in Asia, Europe and North America.

"It's a huge project to bring everyone together with the same voice," Jorgensen says, referring to the two countries' differences.

Although their languages are similar, Denmark and Sweden have different and sometimes opposing views on issues such as currency policy, law and culture.

"There are a lot of barriers for this integration," says Jorgen Birger Christensen, Chief Economist of Danske Bank.

"I'm not a sceptic, but a realist," he says, predicting that it will take 20 years before the two areas will see real business cooperation.

"There are also hard facts that argue against quick integration," says Christensen.

Currency exchange is one such issue. Denmark pegs its currency to the European single currency, while Sweden regulates its currency internally. The two countries also have different labour market regulations as well as tax and pension systems.

However, there are hundreds of businesses in the Oresund region that have already begun to join together for future endeavours. Christensen's bank is one of those companies that see the bridge as an opportunity for growth.

"Perhaps, we wouldn't have set up branches of our bank in Sweden if there hadn't been a bridge in the works."

Officials in Copenhagen are not only addressing economic issues but also the effect that the new bridge has on the communities at either end of the bridge.

Jan Horskjaer, Director of Public Relations in Copenhagen, is excited by the development of the new region but also recognises some of the negative consequences.

"Officials were afraid of migration to the Swedish side of the straight because housing costs are lower," says Horskjaer. Copenhagen is a city of 1.5 million inhabitants whereas across the sound, Malmo, Sweden's third largest city, has a population of only 250,000.

Goran Rosberg, Director of Public Relations for the Malmo City Planning Office, looks to the bridge for growth and potential investment. He talks of cooperation between newspapers, businesses and the tourist industry.

"There is big development here in Malmo. We are looking forward to this opportunity," Rosberg says. And Jorgensen agrees: "The single most important fact of integration is the bridge."

But if the bridge is so important to the integration of the two regions, why is it so expensive to cross? Many people in Denmark and Sweden are asking themselves the same question.

A one-way ticket to cross the bridge with a car costs $25. The Oresund Bridge Consortium, the Danish-Swedish company that owns and operates the bridge, lowered the price for those who sign a six month contract. But Jarn Schauby, chief analyst at the company, says numbers for commuter contracts have remained low.

He also comments that after a first month of 15,000 - 20,000 cars a day, the numbers slowly dropped and levelled off to a maximum 7,000 cars a day.

Unlike most infrastructure projects in Denmark and Sweden, the Oresund bridge was designed to be funded by the people who use it. For the consortium, low traffic is therefore a major problem.

According to Schauby's numbers, Swedes travel to Denmark much more frequently than Danes travel to Sweden. "We have to change this whole structure in order to reach a new equilibrium."

The consortium is now looking into ways to increase traffic on both sides.

While prices are high on the highway section of the bridge, a one-way ticket on the train costs $6. Taking the train is therefore much more popular than travelling by car.

Schauby says his research department was surprised to see higher numbers of train than car traffic.

"Because we built the bridge with two levels, for trains and cars, we wanted to make sure that we didn't take business away from the train traffic."

"It's easier to come to Copenhagen this way, and the train runs 24 hours a day; so I can come back anytime," says one commuter who takes the train to Copenhagen on Friday nights.

Although low traffic numbers concern the consortium, Jorgensen looks ahead with the new mentality that he hopes will heighten business and tourism in the region.

"The bridge always sails," he says. "We don't have to wait for the ferries anymore."

Denmark, Sweden revive ancient link with historic bridge-tunnel
July 1, 2000

Oresund Identity Network
Oresund Bridge Consortium
Oresund university
Danske Bank
Wonderful Copenhagen
Malmo City Planning Office

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