Stord Bridge

Stord Bridge
Coordinates	59°44′51″N 5°24′10″E / 59.74750°N 5.40278°E / 59.74750; 5.40278
Carries	Two lanes of E39 One pedestrian/bicycle path
Crosses	Digernessundet
Locale	Stord, Norway
Official name	Stordabrua
Maintained by	Norwegian Public Roads Administration
Characteristics
Design	Suspension bridge
Total length	1,077 m (3,533 ft)
Width	13.5 m (44 ft)
Longest span	677 m (2,221 ft)
Clearance below	18 m (59 ft)
History
Opened	28 December 2000
Statistics
Daily traffic	6,690[1]
Location

The Stord Bridge (Norwegian: Stordabrua) is a suspension bridge which crosses Digernessundet between the islands of Stord and Føyno in Stord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The bridge is 1,077 meters (3,533 ft) long, has a main span of 677 meters (2,221 ft) and a clearance below of 18 meters (59 ft). It carries two lanes of European Route E39 and a combined pedestrian and bicycle pathway. It is part of the Triangle Link, a fixed link which connects Stord to Bømlo, and both to the mainland. In 2010, the bridge had an average 5,021 vehicles per day. The bridge and the link was a toll road from the opening until 30 May 2013.

Plans for a crossing arose in the 1960s; and until the 1990s proposals were for a pontoon bridge further north. The Stord Bridge was conceived after the decision to combine the crossing with the Bømlafjord Tunnel. The project was resisted both by local environmental groups and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the latter because the new plans would delay completion. Construction was undertaken by a joint venue between NCC and HBG Steel Structures. Construction started in 1999 and was the first bridge in Norway to have the cables spun on-site. The bridge cost 442 million Norwegian krone (NOK) and was taken into use on 27 December 2000.