A new bridge connection in Copenhagen is intended to make it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to cross the harbour. Sailors, on the other hand, will have to expect waiting times and restricted access to the inner harbour.
The bridge with the cryptic designation B2a is to be the longest cycle bridge in Denmark. As things stand today, it is being built directly in front of the entrance to the Langelinie marina, which is also very popular with German sailors, in order to better connect the city districts of Østerbro and Refshaleøen. This may fit in well with the concept of Europe's cycling capital, but it is already causing a great deal of annoyance among sailors and marinas, who feel increasingly included or excluded.
With a free clearance height of 6.63 metres, only smaller boats and harbour buses will be able to pass, while larger sailing boats will have to rely on the hourly opening of the bicycle bridge. In future, anyone looking forward to a mooring sip in Langelinie harbour after a long beat may first have to wait for the bridge to open and for oncoming traffic to pass, before joining other fellow sufferers on the free guest berths.
The only positive thing from a sailor's point of view is the possibility of travelling directly from Langelinie harbour to Refshaleøen, where the popular Reffen street food market is located. This would be possible at any time by bike or on foot - unless sailors and large ships are obstructing the bridge crossing.
Facts and figures on the controversial cycle bridge
- - Denmark's longest bicycle bridge with a length of 460 metres
- - Clearance height of 6.63 metres
- - Passage width of the open bridge of 60 metres
- - Estimated cost: 660 million Danish kroner (88.4 million euros)
After the Lynetten harbour has already been given a bascule bridge, the new bicycle bridge would be a further restriction for sailors, who are increasingly being forced to plan their entries and exits carefully. Our Danish colleagues from Baadmagasinet.dk wonder why good proposals for a tunnel were rejected and even speak of a possible "mistake of the century" in urban planning.
Not only the Langelinie harbour within sight of the "Little Mermaid" is affected, access to Christianshavn and the picturesque canals would also be made more difficult for sailing boats. Repair work on the new bridge could also make it impossible to enter the inner harbour of the Danish capital for an extended period of time.
