G4S manages the toll station operation of the Storebælt Link in Denmark – the Great Belt Bridge in English – ensuring the smooth and efficient movement of up to 56,000 vehicles a day.
The Storebælt Link in Denmark straddles the Storebælt strait – or Great Belt in English- a stretch of water which divides Denmark into two. Danes are extremely proud of their bridges, which are some of the greatest civil engineering wonders of the modern world.
When it first opened on 14 June 1998, the Storebælt link, which consists of a rail tunnel and road bridge, was the longest in the world at 18 kms.
G4S has worked with bridge owner and operator A/S Storebælt, a subsidiary of the Danish state-owned Sund & Bælt Holding A/S, since 2016, managing the toll operation. G4S had its contract renewed for a further three years in 2020, the first existing supplier to have done so on the project.
“This is testament to the commitment of the team to build a partnership of trust and respect with our customer,” said Julian Rudland, Director of Manned Service for G4S in Denmark. “We are completely focused on 100% cooperation, working hand-in-hand at all times with the Storebælt team to ensure that any operational issues are solved quickly and we provide a very high standard of service.”
Traffic management team
By connecting its landmasses, which prior to the Storebælt Link’s existence were served by three ferry services, this feat of engineering has brought socio-economic prosperity to Denmark, valued at DKK 9 billion annually.
In traffic volume terms, on average 36,000 vehicles of all shapes and sizes use the dual carriageway passage everyday in the peak summer season, that’s about 30 vehicles a minute and is five times the volume that previously travelled by ferry.
G4S manages the toll operation of the bridge which connects Zealand to Funen. The toll plaza has 12 lanes on the westbound side and 10 lanes on the eastbound. These are all located in Zealand. Drivers from Zealand go through the plaza before crossing and those driving from Funen make their payment once across.
“When a driver has difficulty making a payment or if there is a technical issue, G4S team members led by our traffic manager, are on hand to talk remotely to the driver using a voice link,” said Brian Zimmerman, the Department Manager at the Great Belt Bridge for G4S. “We can also turn on the video monitoring in any particular lane so we can see the payment machine and help the person remotely, so there is no need to go to the lane in person.”
Digitalisation strategy
A G4S team of transport security professionals is based in the traffic control and monitoring room overlooking the toll plaza and the majority of their contact with drivers is remote. In both directions at Funen and Zealand a single security professional will sit in a booth in one of the lanes, providing additional support. Screens in the control room give the G4S traffic manager a complete overview of individual lanes and the condition of technical equipment.
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Media contact
Rebecca Morpeth Spayne,
Editor, Security Portfolio
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: [email protected]
