The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link
Connecting Germany and Denmark with the world’s longest immersed tunnel
About
Challenge
To link Scandinavia and continental Europe and reduce travel time with a fast, efficient and safe connection between Denmark and Germany.
The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link will be the world's longest immersed tunnel and presents multiple technical, geotechnical and foundation challenges. The size of the prefabricated tunnel elements requires state-of-the-art solutions for transportation and immersion, and calls for a design optimised to maximise production efficiency without compromising quality.
Solution
An immersed tunnel made of enormous concrete elements. Each of the 79 prefabricated elements is 217 metres long. The design demands meticulous attention to detail, especially for rebar placement, to enable rapid production and ensure structural integrity.
In addition to the prefabricated so-called standard tunnel elements, the project features ten specially designed two-storey segments, housing complex systems, such as pumps and sewage facilities, underscoring the engineering sophistication required.
Value
Upon completion, the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link will bring Europe closer together with significant travel time savings and more efficient freight transport.
With the tunnel, the current 45-minute ferry crossing will be replaced by a ten-minute drive or a seven-minute train ride. Spanning 18 kilometres, it will be the world’s longest immersed road and rail tunnel. Not only does this landmark project boost cross-border connectivity; it also supports greener transportation with electric freight trains and smoother public transportation.
Specifications
Location
Rødbyhavn
Period
2020–
Country
Denmark
Services
COWI has designed the tunnel structures for Femern Link Contractors (FLC). In more detail, COWI is designing the permanent works for the immersed tunnel, for ramps and portals and for the land works that connect the link into the existing and future road and rail networks.
Part of the transport corridor of the future
The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link will strengthen Europe’s Trans-European network, facilitating smoother movement of people and goods between Scandinavia and continental Europe, and play an important role in the green transition of the transportation sector.
The tunnel will remove a traffic bottleneck and create a more efficient transport corridor in Europe – the so-called central north-south corridor that stretches from Helsinki in Finland to Valetta in Malta.
This corridor is part of the European TEN-T Network, which aims to shift more freight from road to rail in order to reduce energy consumption and ease traffic congestion on local roads and in cities.
When the tunnel opens, through freight between Scandinavia and Europe does not have to cross the bridges over the Great Belt and the Little Belt. This shortens the distance for freight traffic by rail by 160 kilometres and makes the transportation sector more resilient.
Headquarters
COWI A/S
Parallelvej 2
2800 Kongens Lyngby
Denmark
Shortcuts
Sustainability and governance
Terms of use