A link between Denmark and Germany

(04-01-2010)

An international consortium consisting of Rambøll, ARUP and Tunnel Engineering Consultants (TEC) has acquired the contract to design a 19 km long immersed tunnel between Denmark and Germany. Winning this project has reinforced TEC (a consortium consisting of Royal Haskoning, DHV and Witteveen+Bos) in its leading position in the international market for immersed tunnels.

The Danish Parliament ratified the treaty for construction of a fixed link between Denmark and Germany on 24 March 2009. This cleared the way for a start on designing the link. Femern Bælt A/S, entrusted with the preparatory work for construction of the tunnel, signed a contract with the consortium for this purpose on 6 April 2009. A bridge design and a tunnel design will be developed in parallel with each other for the connection between the two countries. Femern Bælt A/S will make a final choice between a bridge or a tunnel once both designs are sufficiently detailed.

The crossing will be one of the world's largest fixed links and will consist of a motorway with two lanes in each direction and a two-track railway tunnel. The tunnel solution is by far the longest and one of the deepest immersed tunnels in the world. The costs for carrying out the project have been estimated at 6.6 billion Euro including the alterations to the infrastructure on the Danish and German sides. It will take three years to complete the preparatory design work. The link is expected to go into service at the end of 2018.