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GREAT BELT BRIDGE

Denmark’s Great Belt Bridge closed for four hours after accident

The Great Belt Bridge has now reopened after an accident caused the fixed link between Funen and Zealand to close for several hours Monday afternoon.

Published: 14 January 2019 17:25 CET
Denmark’s Great Belt Bridge closed for four hours after accident
Photo: Mathias Øgendal/Ritzau Scanpix

The Danish Road Directorate (Vejdirektoratet) confirmed on Twitter that the road had been reopened.

A large vehicle fell across the central reservation on the bridge at around 12pm, causing a closure in both directions and kilometre-long tailbacks.

“There was a lorry with an empty trailer. It proceeded on to the bridge but fell over on the suspension bridge section, leaving the trailer hanging across the central reservation,” South Zealand Police duty officer Jesper Lovmand told Ritzau.

The trailer is likely to have been blown off balance by windy conditions on the bridge, Lovmand said, in an uncomfortable reminder of circumstances surrounding a tragic rail accident on another part of the bridge earlier this month, which cost eight lives.

No injuries occurred during Monday’s incident.

Authorities had warned vehicles susceptible to high winds against driving across the bridge due to the conditions. That warning remained in place on Monday afternoon, Lovmand said.

The duty officer was unable to comment on why the vehicle was on the bridge, despite the warning having been in place at the time.

“It is too early to say. Nonetheless, it is up there,” he said.

READ ALSO: Train traffic resumes on Great Belt Bridge after fatal accident

GREAT BELT BRIDGE

Car drivers overcharged for crossing Denmark’s Great Belt Bridge

Drivers of small cars may have overpaid in tolls when crossing the Great Belt Bridge. The bridge's toll operator has urged customers to check billing information.

Published: 6 January 2020 13:36 CET
Car drivers overcharged for crossing Denmark's Great Belt Bridge
Photo: Ida Guldbæk Arentsen/Ritzau Scanpix

Operating company Sund & Bælt has encouraged customers to get in touch if they have paid too much to cross the bridge, which connects Zealand with Funen.

The problem, first reported by Fyens Stiftstidende, stems from number plate recognition or used of the BroBizz payment tag.

Payment equipment has in some cases incorrectly registered the size of some vehicles using these payment forms.

The issue first began occurring in December following the replacement of parts in the toll booths.

“We started in September and were finished close to a week before Christmas, changing the entire motor in the payment machine,” operations manager Palle Nygaard told Fyens.

“So there have clearly been a few teething problems, and one of those is that we not have classified (vehicles) quite as well as usual,” he added.

The exact number of incorrect classifications was unclear, but “a couple of percent each day out of 35,000 ends up being a fair few”, Nygaard said.

The Sund & Bælt operations manager told DR that “particularly, customers with very small cars have been charged a higher price than they are used to”.

A single journey in a private car of up to 3 metres in length should cost a toll of 130 kroner, while the toll for a car of 3-6 metres’ length is 245 kroner.

Customers who think they may have been overcharged can check the invoices or receipts they receive, for example via email for BroBizz users.

These will show the category for which tolls were charged.

“You should contact customer service (for a refund) if you find you have paid a different amount than you are used to,” Nygaard told DR.

“If you pay by card (at the bridge) and see that the price is wrong, you can press ‘help’ and get the problem fixed,” he added.

The company expects to fix the issue during the first quarter of 2020.

READ ALSO: New laws: Here's what changes in Denmark in 2020

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