MICHAEL HOLMES, WORLD NEWS: Finally, a new bridge is drawing Denmark and Sweden closer together. CNN's Tom Mintier reports, it marks the conclusion of a project that was first talked about more than a century ago.</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 Bridge Will Connect Copenhagen and Swedish Town of Malomo