| Bridge Name: | Uddevalla Bridge |
| Official Name: | Sunningesund Bridge |
| Carries: | European route E6 |
| Crosses: | Sunninge sound |
| Locale: | Uddevalla Municipality, Sweden |
| Maint: | Swedish National Road Administration |
| Design: | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Mainspan: | 414m (1,358feet) |
| Length: | 1712m (5,617feet) |
| Width: | 2 vehicular lanes in each direction |
| Below: | 51m (167feet) |
| Traffic: | 10,000 vehicles |
| Open: | 20May 2000 |
| Coordinates: | 58.3251°N 11.8452°W |
The Uddevalla Bridge (sv|Uddevallabron) is a cable-stayed bridge crossing Sunninge sound near Uddevalla in the province of Bohuslän on the west coast of Sweden. The bridge was constructed as part of the rerouting of the European route E6 outside Uddevalla, which reduced traffic congestion in the city and shortened traveling distance by 12.8km (08miles).
The total length is 1712m (5,617feet), with a main span of 414m (1,358feet), there are a number of small approach spans at each end, and the two cable stayed side spans are 179m (587feet) each. It is 23.3m (76.4feet) wide, the clearance below the bridge is 51m (167feet), and the two pylons are 149m (489feet) high. The cables are organised in a semi-fan arrangement.[1]
The bridge was constructed in 1996–2000 and was opened for traffic on 20May 2000.
Structural engineering for the bridge was carried out by Johs Holt AS, and Skanska Teknik AB. Skanska also served as general contractor, with subcontractors Alpin Technik und Ingenieurservice GmbH (general), VSL International (cables), Mageba (bearings), and PERI GmbH (formwork and scaffolding).
The cables are steel and the deck is composite steel-reinforced concrete, while the pylons are reinforced concrete. About 9000MT of structural steel and 35000m2 of concrete were used. The bridge and the connecting Sunningeleden cost of SEK 900 M (US$111 M) in 2000 currency values.[2] There is a problem with ice sticking to the cables in the winter, which can fall onto cars. The bridge has to be closed a few times per year for this reason. The alternative road is 12.8km (08miles) longer.Civil engineers have tested pulse electro-thermal de-icing - a way to use a burst of electricity to remove ice caked on walls or windows. For surfaces coated with a special film, the jolt gets rid of ice in less than a second, far less time than it takes to hack at it with an ice scraper.[3]