News from the Strait of Fehmarn Belt – creation of a fixed link between Denmark and Germany.

After many years of detailed preparation, the Fehmarn belt tunnel works will start in 2021. More precisely, the construction of the portal and ramp facilities will start in Rødbyhavn (Denmark).

As a reminder, the Fehmarn belt link will be a tunnel, 18 kilometres long, between Fehmarn (Germany) and Lolland (Denmark).

The project will allow both cars and trains to cross the Strait of Fehmarn Belt in just 10 minutes. The construction of this tunnel is based on a new immersed model comprising the assembly of individual cast concrete elements section by section.. When completed, this will be the longest immersed road and train transport tunnel in the world! 

In addition to the harbour and tunnel, new nature areas will be established on both sides of the shore. It will be a perfect model of human construction combined with environmental compliance.

The tunnel construction will take about 8.5 years and should be ready by 2029.

As described in this video, the tunnel construction process first requires the construction of a works port where the elements constituting what will be the world’s longest road and rail tunnel will be built. To find out more about this future tunnel, you can also visit this website.

The Fehmarnbelt Link project has received great support from political and institutional stakeholders, including the European Commission and the Danish Minister of Transport who describes it as “a new gateway to Europe and a new gateway to the green transport solutions of the future”. According to Femern Belt Development chairman, Mayor Holger Schou Rasmussen, it is now up to them, in collaboration with the state and the region, to get the most out of the project in the construction phase and create a new dynamic growth region with a focus on green transition.

Links with the European Straits Initiative (ESI)

The Fehmarn Strait has a long history of European cooperation especially with other straits across Europe. This fixed link project is only one of the various successful ESI initiatives.

This tunnel is a great example of the importance of cross border cooperation especially across straits. The positive impacts of this tunnel will be numerous and it will stimulate the economy, tourism, culture – as the Channel tunnel did in the Dover Strait. Indeed, thanks to the fruitful cooperation through ESI, the Danish and German elected members, as well as Femern Belt Development, were inspired by their field visits to the Channel tunnel, where experiences from the project were shared.

All pictures from Femern A/S’s image library