The Danish state-owned company Sund & Bælt is implementing one of the largest infrastructure projects in Northern Europe — the Fehmarn Belt underwater tunnel, which will connect the city of Rødby on the island of Lolland with the German Putgarten. When completed in 2029, it will be the longest combined tunnel for cars and trains in the world — 18 kilometers along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. It will become a new high-speed alternative to the ferry service between Denmark and Germany.
The tunnel will reduce travel time: cars will travel it in 10 minutes instead of 45, trains — in 7 minutes at a speed of up to 200 km/h. The cost of the project is 6.2 billion pounds sterling, with Denmark providing full funding. Construction is taking place simultaneously on two sides, including the largest construction site in Northern Europe in Rødbyhavn, where 89 concrete sections are being installed, which will be laid in a prepared trench on the seabed.
The Fehmarn Belt will be a key element of the trans-European TEN-T transport network, providing a sustainable, direct and environmentally friendly route from Scandinavia to Central Europe. The project will increase the capacity of regional corridors, reduce dependence on ferries and strengthen the EU’s climate agenda in the transport sector.