The invisible choice that will keep Denmark’s new bridge strong for more than a century

When Denmark’s newest and third-largest bridge over the Storstrømmen strait was celebrated with a major public festival in June and officially opened by H.R.H. Crown Prince Christian, it marked the culmination of several years of intensive construction work. The old Storstrøm Bridge was closed to general traffic on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, after which the Crown Prince took the symbolic final drive across the historic connection from Falster to Masnedø as the very last motorist, before the opening of the new mega-project was marked.

Queen Margrethe II’s Bridge connects Zealand and Falster via Masnedø and, at approximately four kilometers long, is Denmark’s third-largest bridge.

The bridge was constructed for the Danish Road Directorate by the Italian joint venture SBJV. It features an electrified double-track railway designed for 200 km/h, a two-lane road for 80 km/h, as well as a pedestrian and cycle path. While cars are already rolling across the Storstrømmen, trains are not expected to cross until 2027. 

Concrete is the primary load-bearing material in the bridge structure, and since construction began in 2019, Aalborg Portland has supplied nearly 90,000 tons of cement to the project. The cement types and binder formulations used are specially tailored to the demanding conditions present in the Storstrømmen.

For the sections of the bridge most exposed to seawater, SOLID cement was used. This type of cement was developed specifically to withstand the harsh natural forces of the maritime environment and protect the concrete against degradation for more than a century.

For specific parts of the bridge – including sections of the bridge girders – AALBORG WHITE® was applied. The white cement was chosen due to the need for a relatively fast curing time during the casting process, while its low alkali and chloride content contributes to long-term durability.

"In a maritime environment, chloride penetration from sea salt is a major threat to concrete durability," elaborates Jacob Thrysøe, adding: "By using a sulfate-resistant cement with low alkali content combined with a specific proportion of fly ash, we ensure that the reinforced steel structures do not corrode prematurely."

Queen Margrethe II’s Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge, where the two 160-meter-long navigation spans are supported by a central 102-meter pylon. The pylon was cast in situ in the middle of the Storstrømmen strait.

The combination of cement and fly ash used is well-proven and has for decades ensured that Danish infrastructure projects achieve exceptionally high durability, Jacob Thrysøe explains. This applies not only to chloride and sulfate resistance, but also to carbonation and freeze-thaw cycles – all mechanisms that, individually or in combination, can break down concrete exposed to conditions like those at Queen Margrethe II’s Bridge. This level of protection is difficult to achieve with alternative binder formulations.