Germany's Second Strelasund Crossing opened to traffic yesterday, relieving the original bridge which had served as the only connection between Ruegen Island and the mainland.

More than two thirds of the the 4.1km project is on bridges, including a 600m-long landmark cable-stayed crossing of the Ziegelgraben sound. The focal bridge, which has a 128m-high main pylon, is one of series of six individual, consecutive structures which together total 2.83km. The others are a crossing of the Strelasund and four approach bridges. Federal transport minister Wolfgang Tiefensee praised the structures for fitting harmoniously into the landscape despite their scale.