Construction of an 11-mile undersea tunnel has started, and will eventually connect two European countries, changing tourist travel across the continent forever
A huge tunnel project that will change travel in Europe is underway.
The vast undersea tunnel is being built and will carry two rail lines and a pair of two-lane highways under the Baltic Sea. Construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel has started on the shores of the Baltic Sea, in the south of Denmark. Once finished it will link the country and Germany. The project will be the world’s longest road and rail tunnel, and the world’s longest immersed tunnel, stretching 11.2 miles.
The tunnel will enable both freight and commuter traffic — reducing carbon emissions, freeing up capacity on the roads and railways, and moving freight from lorries to more environmentally-friendly electric trains.
Currently, travellers heading between Hamburg in Germany, and Copenhagen in Denmark, have to take a five-hour train journey. However, when the tunnel opens, the journey time will be cut in half, with the tunnel stretching from the Danish island of Lolland to the German island of Fehmarn. In total, the project will cost €7.4 billion (£6.2 billion) and is set to be completed in 2029.
“The Fehmarnbelt tunnel will be a game-changer for tourism in Denmark and the wider Scandinavian region,” Mads Schreiner, international market director at VisitDenmark, told CNN. “By significantly reducing travel time between Germany and Denmark, it will make our country more accessible than ever for visitors from central Europe. We expect to see a rise in self-drive tourism, weekend city breaks, and sustainable travel options such as train and cycling tourism.
“This new connection presents incredible opportunities for destinations in Eastern Denmark, as more travellers will explore beyond Copenhagen.” Schreiner added that Denmark will also look to renew and expand its facilities for the expected influx of travellers.
“It is crucial that we ensure visitors choose to stay and experience Denmark rather than just passing through. By investing in infrastructure and creating compelling visitor experiences, we can maximize the tourism potential of this historic project.”
A viewing platform with a height of 24 metres is due to open in Rødbyhavn at the beginning of 2025. Instead of being dug through solid land mass as the Channel Tunnel was, the construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel will be carried out by using prefabricated concrete sections, which are dropped into a trench on the sea floor. The sections will then be linked together and buried. The first section, called elements, left the factory last month.
Each section of the tunnel will measure 217 metres long, 42 metre wide and nine metres deep. In addition, each single ‘element’ weighs 73,000 tonnes — which is equal to 10 Eiffel Towers. At its deepest point, the tunnel will be 40 metres beneath the sea.