The molecular ridge close to 30 Doradus is one of the most prominent features in the distribution of molecular gas in the LMC. It extends from the vigorous star forming region 30 Doradus ~2 kpc southward into much quieter star forming regions. Therefore it offers a unique possibility to derive molecular gas parameters as a function of the radiation field in a low-metallicity environment. We present high spatial, wide-field observations of this feature in the 12CO(1-0) line observed with the Mopra telescope. An analysis of the spatial and velocity structure of this feature will be provided and I will show the first interferometric ATCA maps of dense molecular gas in this galaxy. This rich dataset is used to study the formation of molecular gas from atomic gas, the associated star formation in a tidally and shock-triggered environment, and the state of the low-metallicity molecular gas as a function of the strongly varying radiation field.