Hundreds demonstrate against Denmark bridge 04/07/2007 00:00

4 July 2007

Fehmarn, Germany (dpa) - Hundreds of people opposed to construction of Europe's longest bridge demonstrated Tuesday on a German island which is meant to be the jump-off point for the future connection to Denmark.

The crowd slowly drove tractors, cars and bicycles across the existing Sund Bridge from Fehmarn island to the German mainland and back, holding up traffic.

The alliance of conservationists and ferrymen were protesting at the 5.6-billion-euro (7.5-billion-dollar) project adopted last week by Danish and German officials.

Parliaments have yet to vote on the project and build-and-operate contractors have yet to be found.

The anti-bridge alliance said it hoped to successfully prevent construction of the 19-kilometre-long bridge to the Danish island of Lolland across a Baltic strait, the Fehmarn Belt.

Currently ferries depart every 30 minutes across the strait carrying cars and trains.

DPA

Subject: German news