Delay: Fehmarn Belt Tunnel will not be completed in 2029
The tunnel between Germany and Denmark cannot be completed by 2029 because a special ship is missing. The German side breathes a sigh of relief.
The first tunnel elements for the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel between Germany and Denmark are ready. However, the special ship that is being built specifically for the project is delayed.
(Image: Femern AS)
Difficulties in the construction of a special ship threaten to delay the entire construction of the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel. The tunnel between Germany and Denmark was originally scheduled for completion in 2029. However, the Danish tunnel construction company responsible, Femern A/S, now believes that this deadline is unlikely to be met. This is likely to come as a relief to the German side, as the hinterland connection there is also struggling with delays.
A special ship is needed to lower the tunnel elements onto the seabed, but its construction is now a year and a half behind schedule. The first element was supposed to be installed this year. The ship will transport the 89 tunnel elements, each weighing 73,500 tons and measuring 217 meters in length, from the construction port in Denmark to the tunnel trench, where they will be lowered into place with precision. With an average water depth of 30 meters, this is considered particularly challenging. By comparison, the tunnel construction in the Öresund between Copenhagen and Malmö only had to cope with a depth of around 15 meters.
German railway connection also delayed
Construction work on the new transport link has been underway for years. The tunnel trench on the seabed, into which the elements are to be installed, has been excavated. Here, too, there are delays, as it has been determined that the trench is 30 centimetres too deep in places. It is to be filled with gravel to bring it up to the required level.
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Work is also underway on new road and rail connections on both sides. While the Danish side is on schedule with a new 110-kilometre double-track line, Deutsche Bahn admitted back in July that the schedule cannot be met by 2029, according to NDR. Problems with planning and obtaining building permits are cited as the reasons.
Across the Belt in 10 minutes
The 18-kilometre Fehmarn Belt Tunnel will connect the German island of Fehmarn with the Danish island of Lolland. With the tunnel, trips from Puttgarden to Rødbyhavn will take only 7 minutes by train and 10 minutes by car. Until now, crossing the Fehmarn Belt by ferry has taken 45 minutes – not including waiting times.
On the German side, it is expected that the tunnel's hinterland connection will be ready in 2032. It is unclear whether the tunnel construction will be delayed until then. The Danish project company hopes to reduce the backlog as soon as the special ship is ready.
(mki)
