Sortland Bridge

Sortland Bridge (Sortlandsbrua) is a cantilever road bridge that crosses Sortlandssundet between Strand on Hinnøya and the town of Sortland on Langøya in Nordland county, Norway. The bridge is 948 metres long, the main span is 150 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 30 metres. The bridge has 21 spans.

Sortland Bridge was opened in 1975. It was one of 4 bridges that were built in the 1970s to connect the islands of Vesterålen to each other. The other bridges that were built during that period are Hadsel Bridge, Andøy Bridge and Kvalsaukan Bridge. Together with Tjeldsund Bridge near Harstad these bridges connect the islands of Vesterålen to the mainland. Sortland Bridge was a toll bridge for many years after its opening.

Before the bridge was built, a ferry carried passengers across the sound. The ferry crossing was one of the busiest in Norway.

ee also

*List of bridges in Norway
*List of bridges in Norway by length
*List of bridges
*List of bridges by length

External links

* [http://vol.no/Nyhetsbilder/images/2003/5/Sortlandsbrua_lys_liggende.jpgPicture of Sortland Bridge]
* [http://foto.no/cgi-bin/bilder/vis_bilde.cgi?id=137608&sort=ID&brukerid=19687&kategori=&hideThumbs=0&brukernivaa=0&lukketforum=0&offsett=0&foreningsid=&nomenus=&serieid=0&minimumanbefalinger=1 Another picture of the bridge]
*
* [http://home.no.net/lotsberg/data/norway/bru.html The World's Longest Tunnel Page (bridge section)]