Building a Danish giant bridge with FFS help

Text: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Kommunikasjon

- Before Christmas, FFS Atlas helped pull the first bridge girder into place, which weighs 4,000 tonnes and is 73 meters long. The boat has now been replaced by FFS Athos, which will be on time charter on the project until mid-January, says John W. Nielsen, general manager of FFS.

The new Storstrømsbrua will be approximately four kilometers long. It is built for both cars and trains that can travel at up to 200 kilometers per hour. In addition, the bridge will have a pedestrian and cycle path.

BRIDGE EXPECTED to be ready for car traffic in 2025 and train traffic in 2027.  

- The fact that we are selected to take part in such a prestigious project is of course very fun for us, says Nilsen.

The process of towing bridge girders out to the place where they are to be installed is time-consuming. The tugboats, one in front of the barge and one behind, sail at approximately 2 knots per hour, which corresponds to an average speed of less than 4 km/h.

The bridge girder is raised 22 meters above the Storstrømmen's surface.

THE DANISH The Danish Roads Directorate is the client, while the contractor SBJV is responsible for the construction of the bridge.

The project receives wide coverage in the Danish media.

- The focus is now on the operation, which requires a very precise and coordinated team effort from all parties involved, says project director at SBJV, Barry Crouchman, to Danish TV2.

Down to Vordingborg on Zealand, FFS Athos towed the flotilla Bibbi Bergen, which has been in storage in Farsund for some time. The residential barge will be used to house workers working on the bridge project.