FINLAND is planning to build Europe’s longest bridge spanning the Baltic to Sweden as it feels the threat of Russia.
The multi-billion-pound bridge across the Gulf of Bothnia, would connect Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden.
Plans for what would be known as The Kvarken Bridge have been backed by the Finnish government.
It is one of several suggestions for new mega structures connecting the two countries.
The Kvarken Bridge
Over the summer, officials supported the proposed construction of the 30-mile Kvarken Bridge linking Vaasa and Umeå.
It would connect the Finnish and Swedish coastlines that are about 50 miles apart, in what would be the longest bridge in Europe.
Under plans, it will start at the Finnish Kvarken Islands and connect to a group of Swedish islands on the other side.
It would most likely be made up of three bridge sections that connect via islands in the Bothnian Bay.
Currently, the two are linked by ferry which takes about four hours or even longer by road as drivers are forced up north to go around the Gulf of Bothnia before going back south.
Plans have suggested the instalment of a raised section to ensure large ships can pass underneath as well as adding protection to the supports of the bridge to prevent collisions with vessels.
Construction for the mega-bridge could cost up to €2 billion (£1.6 billion).
While a portion of the funding would come from Sweden and Finland, the government said that international sources would have to be secured to make the project happen.
Tapio Ojanen, deputy director at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency told Yle: “It’s an extremely large infrastructure project.
“Such long fixed connections across the open sea are hardly found anywhere in the world.”
Last year, the transport agency launched a €200,000 (£168,000) study to explore the feasibility of the bridge with a report expected this Spring.
As part of the investigation, it will be comparing the plan to the proposals of two other connections.
Key factors up for discussion will be the cost and any economic benefits, the environmental impact, and what different transport links each suggestion offers.
Connection to Denmark
One of the other proposals would see the construction of a bridge or tunnel connecting Helsinki and Stockholm via Turku and the Åland archipelago at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia.
This suggestion would offer improved transport links to Europe by potentially being connected to Copenhagen in Denmark via the Øresund Bridge, according to Euronews.
It is important that a strong transport dimension is now built into NATO partnerships.
Jyri Häkämies
The five-mile combined rail and motorway bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, crossing the shipping channel of the Øresund Strait.
It links Copenhagen with Malmö, giving Sweden a vital road and rail connection with Europe with 7.5 million journeys recorded at the toll station last year alone.
If the plan, which would be more costly than the Kvarken Bridge, went ahead, the connection could be further linked through Denmark to Germany.
Underwater Tunnel
A third proposal would see an underwater tunnel constructed between Helsinki and Tallinn in Estonia.
The connection would be the world’s longest underwater railway tunnel linking Finland to Europe’s wider railway network.
At its deepest point, the tunnel would be about 215 meters below sea level and is set to be just under 60 miles long, almost double the length of the Channel Tunnel.
It would have two tubes – one for passengers and one for freight.
This plan which is estimated to cost up to €20 billion (£16.7 million), has received funding from both nations and the EU for feasibility studies.
But last year, Lulu Ranne, the Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications, said that the idea was “unrealistic” unless the EU would provide more funding.
Putin Threat
Such proposals have swirled for years with the Kvarken Bridge first suggested in the 1970s, but plans are now being explored with more urgency, especially from Russia’s neighbour.
Finland is looking to bolster its connectivity with Europe by investing in new links that offer alternative routes in case of escalations in the Baltic Sea.
If Russia put a blockade in the Baltic, Finland would be left entirely reliant on road transport.
The increased need for connectivity comes as Europe looks to strengthen its defences and become more self-reliant as tensions rise with Russia and the US tries to disentangle itself from its NATO allies.
After joining the alliance in April 2023, Finland continues to seek more security with its European neighbours.
The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) which has released a new report backing connection plans, reiterated the need for different links to the Continent via tunnels and bridges.
CEO of EK Jyri Häkämies said: “Our country’s Western integration also concerns transport: we need stronger transport connections to the rest of Europe and the world so that the economy can grow and foreign trade can thrive.
“This is also required by the deteriorating security situation, which has already been made concrete by the repeated acts of destruction in the Baltic Sea.
“That is why it is important that a strong transport dimension is now built into NATO partnerships.”
He added that current and future leaders of Finland and Europe need to accept there will be “continuous infrastructure projects” continuing “until the 2040s and 2050s”.
