BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: It spans the strait of Oresund (ph), making it the world's 10th longest bridge. Between 12,000 and 14,000 vehicles a day are expected to use the crossing. CNN's Tom Mintier now looks as what else the completed project will mean to those two countries.</s>TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The new 9 1/2-mile or 16-kilometer bridge and rail link will connect the Danish city of Copenhagen and the Swedish town of Malomo. Following more than 10 years of construction, the new link will open the Scandinavian peninsula and Europe. The bridge is not a new idea. It was first proposed as an underwater railway tube 112 years ago in 1888. The span will replace ferry crossings that once took nearly an hour with a 20-minute ride across the span. Royals from both nations were on the bridge to celebrate the opening: Queen Margrethe of Denmark and King Carl Gustaf of Sweden. At a cost of more than $3.7 billion, the Oresund Bridge should create a new hub of economic and cultural exchanges between Denmark and Sweden. For many Swedes, the new link will mean easier shopping in Copenhagen. Many could use the trip to bypass Sweden's strict and expensive liquor laws. Travel across the new span will not come cheap. A one-way fare for an automobile will cost as much as $33. Tom Mintier, CNN, London.
New 9 1/2 Mile Bridge and Rail Link Will Connect Copenhagen and Swedish Town of Malomo