A significant construction project in southern Denmark is underway. The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will transform travel between Denmark and Germany.
The ambitious project, valued at €7.4 billion (£6.2 billion), will connect the Danish island of Lolland with Germany’s Fehmarn island, covering a distance of 11.2 miles. The tunnel is expected to open in 2029.
Once completed, the tunnel will feature two road traffic lanes, accommodating freight, commuter vehicles, and two railway lines.
Trains are expected to reach up to 125 mph speeds, drastically cutting travel times between key destinations.
Travellers journeying between Hamburg in northern Germany and Copenhagen, the Danish capital, must endure a five-hour train trip. The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will reduce this to approximately 2.5 hours.
Similarly, the existing 45-minute ferry crossing between Denmark and Germany will be replaced by a much faster tunnel route, which will take just 10 minutes by car and seven minutes by train.
The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is set to become the world’s longest immersed road and rail tunnel. Unlike the Channel Tunnel, which stretches 31.5 miles and was created using tunnel boring machines, it is being constructed using an immersion technique.
This method involves building large tunnel sections on land, floating them to the site, and sinking them into the Baltic Sea seabed.
According to Mads Schreiner, International Market Director at VisitDenmark, the tunnel will be a “game-changer” for the country’s tourism. Schreiner stated that the improved connection would make Denmark more accessible to visitors from central Europe, likely increasing self-drive holidays, weekend city breaks, and sustainable travel options like train and cycling tourism.
Denmark’s tourism board has introduced The Pilen, a project calledraDenmark. Visitors can observe the tunnel’s construction site to showcase the project’s progress.
The viewing point shows where future train and vehicle traffic will enter the structure. Nearby, the Femern Exhibition Centre presents detailed information about the project through models and films for those keen to learn more about this engineering marvel.
The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel has already sparked excitement among engineering enthusiasts, with one online discussion describing the project as “fascinating.”
With its opening in 2029, the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is expected to enhance European connectivity and expand tourism opportunities in Denmark and the broader Scandinavian region.z