The Cykelslangen a.k.a. The Bicycle Snake in Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen is known as a biking city because over 50% of its people commute using this eco-friendly vehicle everyday. Whether they’re in stilettos, suits, or skirts, the Danes will not mind riding on a bike to get from A to B. And so, even Denmark’s infrastructure tends to be pedestrian and cyclist-friendly. It’s not surprising to see a well-designed elevated cycle track called “Cykelslangen” or “The Bicycle Snake” as a solution for the growing number of cyclists.

The Cykelslangen is a project designed by Denmark’s Dissing+Weitling architecture firm that aims to allow bicycle users to travel directly from the bridge Dybbølsbro to the harbour bridge – Bryggebroen. The 235-meter long elevated bicycle track became fully-opened for Danish cyclists in mid-2014.

Why did the Danes need to have a “super bikeway” like this? There was already a bridge, Bryggebroen, that connected the Vesterbro neighborhood with Islands Brygge on the other side. The bridge was used by pedestrians and cyclists, providing them easy access to Islands Brygge, universities, Danish broadcasting, and Ørestad from Vesterbro, and vise versa. But then, the number of cyclists was so overwhelming that it became a trouble for them and the pedestrians to go together through the same bridge everyday. Furthermore, it was inconvenient for cyclists to walk their bikes down the stairs to get to the harborside that’s connected to the bridge. It’s the same too for cyclists who cycle around Fisketorvet shopping center to get to their destination.

Now, with the Cykelslangen as the solution for such traffic, many people can cycle from the connected sites with ease while overlooking the amazing view of Copenhagen. The pedestrians on the other hand, won’t need to slow down now because of the passing bikes while enjoying the harborfront view.

Do you want to cross the snake?

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