The West Bridge is a 6.6 km long, combined road and rail bridge resting on 63 bridge piers and 2 abutments. Both the super and substructures are made of reinforced concrete. The West Bridge curves horizontally with a radius of 20 km. Chosen for both aesthetic and safety reasons, this gives motorists a varied experience during their crossing of the West Bridge.
Navigation
Due to the limited navigational clearance of 18m, shipping in the West Channel is restricted to vessels of max. 1,000 GRT (Gross Register Tonnage). The two passage spans for north and south bound traffic are marked with double leading lights and red/green buoyage (beacons and lights). In addition, the navigation spans are equipped with automatic fog-detectors and foghorns. There is 260m between north and south bound navigation channels. To further enhance safety, a system has been
set up to monitor shipping in Storebælt. The system helps to ensure that large vessels do not pass through the West Channel instead of the East Channel.
