The Streymin Bridge ( Faroese: Brúgvin um Streymin; in short Brúgvin), is an important highway bridge in the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

. It connects the two biggest and most populous islands of

Streymoy Streymoy (, ) is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn, is located on its southeast coast. The name means "island of currents". It also refers to the largest region of the country that also includes the ...

to the west and

Eysturoy Eysturoy (, meaning 'East Island') is a region and the second-largest of the Faroe Islands, both in size and population. Description Eysturoy is separated by a narrow sound from the main island of Streymoy. Eysturoy is extremely rugged, with som ...

to the east. Crossing the

Sundini 280px, The Streymin Bridge crosses the Sundini at its narrowest point Sundini is the northern section of the sound separating the islands of Streymoy and Eysturoy in the Faroe Islands. The southern section of the strait is named Tangafjørður. ...

sound at its narrowest point, it is jokingly referred to as the 'Bridge over the Atlantic', being the only inter-island bridge in the Faroe Islands, and one of the few such bridges in the Atlantic Ocean.

Location

The bridge is situated between the hamlet of

Nesvík Nesvík is a village on the east coast of the Faroese island of Streymoy, located in the Sunda municipality. The population has been 0 since 2016, when the last inhabitants left. Nesvík is home to a religious camp of the conservative Inner Missi ...

on Streymoy and in between

Norðskáli Norðskáli is a settlement in the Faroe Islands on the island of Eysturoy, a few kilometres north of Oyri. Its name means ''north dwelling'' and its population is 330. The 226-metre Streymin Bridge crosses Sundini from the island of Streymoy ...

and Oyrarbakki on Eysturoy, in the centre of the country. The bridge is part of national road number 10, running from

Tórshavn Tórshavn (; ; Danish language, Danish: ''Thorshavn''), usually locally referred to as simply Havn, is the capital and largest city of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the northwest of th ...

Klaksvík Klaksvík () is the second largest town of the Faroe Islands behind Tórshavn. The town is located on Borðoy, which is one of the northernmost islands (the Norðoyar). It is the administrative centre of Klaksvík municipality. History The fir ...

, and is considered a core road. At both sides of the Sundini sound there are road junctions with roads to Eiði,

Tjørnuvík Tjørnuvík () is the northernmost village on Streymoy in Sunda Municipality, Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom ...

, Oyri and villages in between. Several stores and the region's primary school have clustered around the highway junction. Oyrarbakki is a main interchange in the country's public transport network. Apart from the interregional role, the bridge is an important link within Sunda municipality, which stretches both sides of the Sundini sound. The bridge has two car lanes and a narrow shared bicycle/foot path.

History

Construction started in 1970 and the opening was 30 October 1973. During the first three years after opening, the bridge only linked Streymoy to Eysturoy's western half. It was not until 1976, when the Norðskálatunnilin opened, that the bridge gained a genuinely inter-regional character, as this tunnel linked the western Eysturoy to eastern Eysturoy's road network. Previous to 1973, traffic heading from the capital to

or Eiði had to take a car ferry from Hósvík to Oyrarbakki. Until 1976, traffic from Tórshavn to the Skálafjørður and

Leirvík Leirvík is a town on the Faroe Islands and was an important regional ferry harbour at the east coast of the second-largest island Eysturoy. It was the only town in the municipality of Leirvík (''Leirvíkar kommuna''), however on 1 January 2009 ...

had to take either the car crossing from

Hósvík Hósvík () is a village in the Faroe Islands. It has a population of 320 and is located on a bay on Streymoy's east-coast. The ferry to Selatrað on Eysturoy island used to go from Hósvík, but was superseded by the Streymin Bridge between t ...

to Selatrað or a direct, slower ferry. In concert with construction, the Sundini sound was dredged and deepened to (at mean water level) in order to allow ships with a deeper

draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...

. The bridge's clearance is .
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Future

In 2011, on average 4,497 vehicles crossed the bridge per day. This number may halve to around 2,070 following the opening of the

Eysturoyartunnilin The Eysturoy Tunnel (, previously known as ) is a large Undersea tunnel, undersea road tunnel under the sound in the Faroe Islands, connecting the island of Streymoy to the island of Eysturoy. It also crosses the southern part of , and connec ...

in December 2020, creating a much quicker alternative for traffic between the capital

, the Skálafjørður and the

Northern Isles The Northern Isles (; ; ) are a chain (or archipelago) of Island, islands of Scotland, located off the north coast of the Scottish mainland. The climate is cool and temperate and highly influenced by the surrounding seas. There are two main is ...

. The loss of potential clientele has caused slight distress in the region. However, the current bridge continues to be part of the Core Road Network. Also for traffic between Tórshavn and Klaksvík, the bridge may continue to attract users who want to avoid the tunnel toll. Implications for the bus servicing are not known, yet it is likely that the country's frequent and trunk route #400, from Tórshavn to Klaksvík, will be rerouted through the Eysturoyartunnilin, following a shorter and altogether more populous course.

References

{{coord, 62.2083, -7.0055, type:landmark_region:FO, display=title Buildings and structures in the Faroe Islands Beam bridges