Wind-sensitive vehicles overturning on the Storebælt Bridge create dangerous situations and traffic jams. This is why Sund & Bælt is installing wind protection at selected points on the high bridge to reduce the number of accidents.
“The majority of wind-related accidents happen around pylons and anchor blocks, especially during periods of heavy crosswinds. We’re setting up wind screens at these points to reduce the particularly strong winds created around them, so that drivers avoid any sudden movement of their vehicles that could cause an accident,” says Sund & Bælt Technical Manager Kim Agersø Nielsen.
The project is part of a comprehensive traffic safety upgrade on the Storebælt link. Whereas the wind screens are designed to prevent accidents, moveable barriers installed last year make it easier to maintain traffic flow on the bridge in the event of traffic jams.
While reducing the number of accidents, the wind screens will also improve the driving experience across the link in windy conditions.
"The wind screens will improve both the safety and comfort of road users. The screens do not block the wind completely, but our studies show when wind screens are installed, road users no longer experience the strong gusts of crosswinds when they pass pylons and anchor blocks that they experience today,” says Kim Agersø Nielsen.
The design and size of the screens were based on analyses carried out as part of Sund & Bælt’s investigations into wind-related traffic restrictions in recent years when a series of tunnel tests were performed by FORCE Technology on a model of the Storebælt Bridge.
The wind screens are expected to be installed by the end of February 2023. Restrictions for wind-sensitive vehicles in strong winds will remain, but the risk of accidents caused by the wind will be reduced.
Read more about wind restrictions on the Storebælt website.
Facts about the project
- The new screens were designed by Dissing + Weitling, the original designer of the Storebælt Bridge. They consist of evenly spaced vertical slats, extending approximately 20 metres on each side of the pylons at a height of up to 3.5 metres above the carriageway. When designing the wind protection, great consideration was given to the aesthetics of the bridge.
- FORCE Technology tested three types of slats made from plastic and aluminium. The result of the wind tunnel tests show that all three types are stable when exposed to wind. The preferred solution was decided based on ease of maintenance and highest durability.
- COWI A/S advised on the project and assisted in the interpretation of the wind tunnel tests, in the design of the screens and in the contractor tender process.