Skip to main content

Progress for planned Denmark-Germany immersed tunnel

A Danish company, Femern, is submitting documents for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, an immersed tunnel that will connect Germany with Denmark. The project is expected to cost in the order of €5.5 billion to construct. An 18km immersed tunnel will link the islands of Fehmarn and Lolland. Fehmarn Island is already connected with Northern Germany’s mainland by a bridge, while Lolland is already connected by a tunnel and bridges with Zealand, a link that runs via the island of Falster
October 30, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A Danish company, 4782 Femern, is submitting documents for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, an immersed tunnel that will connect Germany with Denmark. The project is expected to cost in the order of €5.5 billion to construct. An 18km immersed tunnel will link the islands of Fehmarn and Lolland. Fehmarn Island is already connected with Northern Germany’s mainland by a bridge, while Lolland is already connected by a tunnel and bridges with Zealand, a link that runs via the island of Falster. This new immersed tunnel would reduce the travel distance using the existing links and cut journey times between Germany and Denmark, as well as Germany and Norway and Sweden. The route is expected to provide a major trade connection for the region as it will also be close to Hamburg, which is home to one of Europe’s largest and busiest sea ports. The German authorities are expected to approve the project in summer 2015. Most of the costs for the work will be paid for by Denmark. The tunnel connections in Germany are expected to cost some €800 million, but could conceivably climb higher. The tunnel will be the world’s longest immersed tunnel as well as being the world’s longest tunnel combining rail and road connections when it is completed. Initially the link was to have been open to vehicle and rail traffic by 2018 but a series of delays has now pushed back the expected completion date to 2021.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Interest strong for Colombia key tunnel project
    January 22, 2019
    Interest is strong in the project to complete Colombia’s key tunnel construction contract. In all 23 firms have shown interest in the package of works to complete the La Linea tunnel project, according to the Colombian national road institute (Invias). The Colombian Government is providing US$204.5 million to complete the project. The current target is for the tunnel to be completed by 2020, although the link was originally supposed to be ready for traffic in late 2016. Construction work on the link commenc
  • Russia's key highway development project
    February 8, 2012
    One of the largest construction programmes in Europe is being carried out to get a Russian resort ready for the Winter Olympics. Patrick Smith reports
  • Russia's key highway development project
    May 28, 2012
    One of the largest construction programmes in Europe is being carried out to get a Russian resort ready for the Winter Olympics. Patrick Smith reports. Daytime temperatures top 30°C in September, and with hundreds of shops and hotels, it is not difficult to see why Sochi has become Russia's premier holiday playground. The city, on the east coast of the Black Sea, near the border with Georgia, bustles with tourists, and this is boosted with delegates at the 9th International Investment Forum Sochi 2010.
  • Major Necaxa-Tihuatlan Highway project for Mexico
    October 1, 2014
    A new highway in Mexico is connecting Necaxa with Tihuatlan and the project features challenging terrain - Mauro Nogarin reports In Mexico a landmark highway project is now close to completion, having set a number of records for Latin America.