In 2025, the Øresund Connection can celebrate its 25th anniversary. The bridge was opened on July 1, 2000, and since then, it has united Denmark and Sweden in one Øresund Region. The Øresund Connection consists, roughly speaking, of three parts: the tunnel, the island Peberholm, and the Øresund Bridge itself.

The tunnel
The tunnel is 4.05 kilometers long. Of this, 3,510 meters are enclosed tunnel, with 270 meters of on and off ramps at each end. The tunnel tube accommodates two railway tubes, two highway tubes, and a service and escape route tube. Although the tunnel appears as one long connection, it is assembled from 20 elements, each measuring 176 meters in length, 8.6 meters in height, and 38.8 meters in width. Each element weighs 55,000 tons. They were cast on land, after which they were lowered into an excavated trench on the seabed and assembled into one long tunnel tube.

The island of Peberholm
Peberholm is an artificial island that constitutes the central part of the Øresund Connection. It was constructed in 1995 to serve as a location where the tunnel tube and high bridge could meet. The island consists of 7.5 million cubic meters of seabed material, excavated when creating the artificial trench where the tunnel would be placed. Initially, Peberholm was completely barren, but today it hosts various plants and animals that have made their way to the island from Denmark and Sweden. Peberholm is home to a large population of hares, mice, and rabbits, and more than 500 species of insects and 30 species of spiders have been observed – some of them rare and endangered.

The Øresund Bridge
The Øresund Bridge is a combined railway and highway bridge. In 1995, the first groundbreaking for the Øresund Connection took place, and in 1997, they were ready to install the first bridge pillar. In 2000, the new connection between Denmark and Sweden was completed. The span – the distance between bridge pillars – is 490 meters, making it one of the longest in the world. At the highest point, the roadway is 57 meters above sea level, but the tallest bridge pillars extend 203.5 meters above the Øresund.