Royal opening of Hising Bridge

07.09.2021

Hising Bridge crosses the river Göta Älv in Gothenburg and forms the new link between the mainland and Hisingen. The opening period for Hising Bridge started on 9 May when the bridge was opened to traffic and ended on 5 September when King Carl XVI Gustaf in Sweden officially opened the bridge. This is the culmination of 10 years’ work for COWI, which has been the main consultant.

This is an important project for both COWI and the City of Gothenburg. The new Hising Bridge in the centre of Gothenburg is a new landmark, which will help develop the city centre on both sides of the river Göta Älv. Hising Bridge is a vertical lift bridge made of steel and concrete. It has been a technically challenging project due to the advanced design of the bridge. It must always be ready to open for incoming ships and there can never be any risk of it getting stuck. It has been designed to last for at least 120 years.

The construction of Hising Bridge has not been without its challenges. One of them was the geotechnical conditions, as there are large layers of clay; this meant that deep piling had to be used. Another challenge was to synchronise the planning and to be in tune with other infrastructure projects in the local area.

Hising Bridge is a large and complex project which has required good planning and coordination.

“It is a privilege to have been involved from beginning to end in such a large and important project for Gothenburg. We have worked closely with the City of Gothenburg and Skanska, and many other partners have been involved, both from Sweden and from other countries. It’s so inspirational to be influenced by other people, and we can all learn from each other,” says Thomas Darholm, Technical Director for Civil Structures (Bridges, Tunnels and Marine Constructions) for COWI in Sweden and Project Manager for Hising Bridge.

On 9 May the bridge opened to pedestrians, cyclists, cars and buses, and on 16 August the bridge also opened to trams. The opening ceremony was held on 5 September, when King Carl XVI Gustaf in Sweden officially opened Hising Bridge, with representatives from COWI involved.

 Timeline of the Hising Bridge

• 2009 – the first preparatory works start
  
  
• 2013 – design competition for the new bridge
  
  
• 2017 – groundbreaking ceremony is held
  
  
• 2021 – on 9 May the bridge opens to cars, pedestrians and cyclists
  
  
• 2021 – on 16 August the bridge opens to trams
  
  
• 2021 – on 5 September the opening ceremony is held