Faro Bridges

The Faro Bridges (Danish, Farobroerne) are two road bridges that connect the islands of Falster and Zealand in Denmark.

Faro Bridges

Carries                   4 lanes E47/E55

Crosses                   Kalvo Strom - Storstrommen

Design                    Cable-stayed bridge

Total length           1.526 + 1.726 metres

Width                     32 metres 

Longest span          40 + 290 metres

Clearance below     20 + 26 metres

Opening date         June 4, 1985

The two bridges meet upon the small island of Faro which is approximately mid-way across the sound. Faro has area 0.93 km², with a recorded population of 5 in 2008. A smaller bridge from Faro provides access to Bogo and thence to the island of Mon. The Bridges carry the combined E47 route to Lolland and E55 route to Falster, from Copenhagen and Helsingor, both of which continue to mainland Europe by ferry. A further bridge from Lolland, the Fehmarn Belt bridge is planned to carry the E47 route to Germany, replacing the ferry.

The Faro Bridges were opened by Queen Margrethe II on June 4, 1985. They were built because of the increasing congestion problems on the old Storstrom Bridge from 1937.

The high (south) bridge crosses Storstrommen between Falster and Faro. It is a cable-stayed bridge. The bridge is 1726 metres long, the longest span is 290 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 26 metres strung up on 95.14 meters high suspension towers, which was finished in 1984. It was one of the first cable-stayed bridge in Scandinavia. The two towers supporting the span are of 'diamond' shape construction, rising from a single point to either side of the roadway, then combining to one point above the centre of the bridge. There is only one row of suspension cables, along the centre of the roadway.

The low (north) bridge crosses Kalvo Strom between Faro and Zealand. It is a beam bridge. The bridge is 1596 metres long, the longest span is 40 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 20 metres.