€105m river bridge advances despite backlash

A major infrastructure project to connect central Gothenburg, Sweden, with a new pedestrian and cycling bridge is moving forward despite fierce political opposition and escalating costs.

The proposed crossing over the Göta River has become a flashpoint for controversy, with opposition parties Moderaterna, Liberalerna, and Demokraterna mounting a sustained challenge to the scheme. Their concerns center on cost overruns, potential disruption to maritime traffic, and what they describe as questionable economic justification.

The project’s price tag has surged from an initial €79 million to €105 million, a 33% increase that has intensified scrutiny of the business case. Central to the dispute are traffic projections showing 17,500 daily crossings by 2050, figures opposition members claim are fundamentally flawed.

“What particularly disturbs me is the unprofitability and the fact that they’re manipulating figures. It’s been done so many times in this city and I’m so tired of it,” Martin Wannholt (D) told Göteborgs-Posten.

City officials have rejected accusations of impropriety. Henrik Kant, Gothenburg’s City Planning Director, defended the methodology behind the forecasts, stating that the city has been transparent in its approach and used standard modeling techniques.

“Forecasts can be made in different ways and we have openly reported how we do it. We haven’t used tricks but are using the models available,” Kant said.

Despite the controversy, the detailed plan is now being released for public review, a critical step in Sweden’s planning process. If approved and completed, the bridge would open in the early 2030s, initially handling an estimated 8,000 trips per day before growing to the projected 17,500 by mid-century.

The project represents one of Sweden’s most significant urban connectivity investments, aimed at improving sustainable transport links in the country’s second-largest city.