Environmental Optimization of the Great Belt and Øresund Links

The act passed by the Danish Parliament authorising construction of the 18 km long Great Belt Link stipulated that there be no environmental impact on the Baltic Sea after completion of construction, the so-called "Zero-solution." A similar requirement was made for the resund Link between Denmark and Sweden. For the resund Link it was further stipulated that any environmental impact in clearly defined zones surrounding the site should be minimized. Construction of the Great Belt Link began in 1988 and will continue into 1998; the resund Link begun in 1991 and will be completed in the year 2000. In order to meet the stringent environmental requirements placed upon these two large projects, early layouts were altered and various methods for monitoring and controlling the impact of the construction were developed. International expert panels were also engaged.