King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has visited his country’s second largest city, Gothenburg, to officially open a brand new bridge.
The King began his visit to Gothenburg by taking part in a seminar on the new bridge, during which representatives from the project described the construction work.
After the seminar, the King boarded a small barge to get a guided tour of the bridge from the water and see its construction and design up close. On land, the guided tour continued along the northern part of the bridge. During the visit, the King also got to see how the demolition work of the old bridge went on.
The main event of the day was the King officially opening the brand new bridge, Hisingsbron, over the Göta River in Gothenburg. The new Hisingsbron connects central Gothenburg with the island of Hisingen. The bridge replaces the old Götaälv Bridge that has been used since 1939. During the ceremony, there was a special performance by gymnasts, dancers and musicians.
In his speech during the opening His Majesty the King said: “A new landmark has been created – of concrete and 7,500 tons of steel, which gives the city a new silhouette. It is a project that has required an enormous amount of effort and thought. Both by the city of Gothenburg and by you who have planned and carried out the construction itself. Probably also a good dose of patience from many road users – especially considering all the other road and tunnel construction that has been going on at the same time and is still going on. But now it is finished, the new Hisingsbron bridge”.
The new bridge is a so-called lifting bridge made of steel and concrete. The Hisingsbron-bridge has a total length of 1380 meters, if you count all parts on land, the bridge section over Göta-river, is 440 meters. When the bridge is closed, it has a sail-free height of 12 meters. When in the open position, it has a sail-free height of 28 meters. The bridge has two vehicle traffic lanes in each direction, a lane for public transport in each direction and bi-directional pedestrian and bicycle lanes on both sides.
