Peter Weltenius, Nordic Manager for Britannia Sandersteads in the UK, has advised that King Frederik X of Denmark has recently inaugurated the 18km Fehmarnbelt Tunnel which will link Denmark to Northern Germany.

Work has already started on the portals on both sides. The tunnel is expected to open in 2029.

The tunnel will consist of 89 pre-constructed elements, most of which will be 217 metres long, weigh 73,500 tonnes and be constructed to carry both road and rail traffic.  Each element will take nine weeks to make in a new, purpose-built factory nearby (the largest concrete factory in the world employing several thousand people).  When completed, each element will be floated into position and sunk into a 12-metre-deep tunnel trench.  When linked together the ballast tanks will be pumped out to create a partial vacuum that will ensure the joints are water tight.  The whole construction will be covered with stone and the environment allowed to reclaim the site leaving no trace of the tunnel on the sea bed.

The new link will be the world’s longest emersed tunnel and the fastest route between Scandinavia and central Europe, taking just ten minutes by road and seven minutes by train.