There are islands in the strait, and the sum of the lengths of the probably three bridge parts would be about 40 kilometres (25 mi).
There is a debate in the coastal cities on both sides, like Umeå in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland.
The working group for the bridge has proposed a three-step programme: In 2007, the Swedish Västerbotten business owners' association planned to commission a report into the significance of a bridge for the development of the region.
[1] In 2024, Finland announced that it would spend 200,000 euros on preliminary studies for a future bridge.
[2] A part of the area examined for a future bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.