Bridge Towards Economic Succes or Failure?

A proposed 12-mile bridge across the Baltic Sea connecting Germany and Denmark, if approved, will be finished by 2018. The bridge will directly connect the two countries and replace the Scandlines ferries which operate on the route now.

There is a plethora of pros and cons to this proposal. The bridge will make travel not only easier between the two countries but also shorter. It will eliminate waiting at the dock and shorten the drive between Copenhagen and Hamburg. Consequently, business between the two countries will also be conducted more efficiently. Furthermore, an increase in tourists crossing the border between the two countries would likely result, and the tourism industry would stand to profit from this new option in travel.

On the other hand, the building of the bridge presents a threat to the environment. Also, there is the possibility that the project will become a “money pit” for Germany. This negative viewpoint is supported by the fact that in late 2006 all potential investors withdrew their support as there wasn’t a reliable financial forecast.

Is the opportunity cost of this project too big or is it going to turn out profitable for Germany and Denmark?

More details on it can be found in the BusinessWeek article “German-Danish Bridge Plan Stokes Concerns”.