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BRIDGE

Öresund Bridge to shut for emergency exercise

The motorway between Sweden and Denmark will close on Wednesday evening for a major exercise on the famous Öresund Bridge involving Swedish and Danish emergency services.

Öresund Bridge to shut for emergency exercise
The Öresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

On Wednesday evening, around 200 people, including Danish and Swedish police, emergency services, regional authorities and around 100 actors, will take over the Öresund Bridge. But they are not shooting a scene for The Bridge – they are staging a major incident to test authorities' preparedness for emergencies.

“Everyday nearly 20,000 vehicles cross the Öresund Bridge. The number of trains are almost 200 in one day. Security demands are high and Øresundsbro Konsortiet, authorities and rail operators are continuously working to improve and develop their contingency and crisis work,” read a press release from Øresundsbro Konsortiet, the group that owns and operates the bridge.

“The purpose of the exercise is to ensure that contingency plans, for example planning and knowledge of the crossing's accessibilty and escape routes, are sufficient to be able to handle an accident.”

The bridge will be closed for all vehicles between 8pm and 11pm. A number of trains between Copenhagen Airport and Østerport station, also in Copenhagen, have also been cancelled.

Both regular commuters and those flying to or from Copenhagen Airport are advised to allow plenty of time for travel and check Skånetrafiken's or DSB's website for an updated train schedule.