Operation Fehmarbelt tunnel gets underway
Operation Fehmarbelt tunnel gets underway
The immersion of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel, the very first tunnel section of the world’s longest undersea tunnel, is now a a fact. The sinking operation began off the coast of the Danish island of Lolland on 4 May 2026. This marks the start of a long and precise process combining civil engineering, maritime operations and specially developed offshore equipment.
Following the immersion of the first tunnel segment, 88 similar operations will follow. Ultimately, by mid-2032, an 18-kilometre-long tunnel will connect Lolland with the German island of Fehmarn. TEC, the joint venture between Witteveen+Bos and Haskoning, is closely involved in the design and realisation of this mega-project.
Faster journey time
Once the tunnel is complete, cars and trains will be able to make the crossing between Germany and Denmark in less than ten minutes. Currently, the same journey by ferry takes at least an hour, including waiting time. In the future, the tunnel will form a key link in the planned high-speed rail line between Stockholm and Hamburg.
TEC is collaborating closely with Ramboll and Arup on the design and construction as part of the RAT joint venture. This collaboration brings together international experience and specialist knowledge in the fields of tunnel design, immersed tunnel technology and marine structures.
The Fehmarn facts
- an 18-kilometre tunnel comprising 79 standard tunnel segments and 10 special tunnel segments;
- each standard tunnel element is 217 metres long and the special tunnel elements are 39 metres long;
- there will be a total of 90 (79+10+1) operations: 10 special tunnel elements, each 39 metres long, and 1 closure joint;
- the deepest point of the trench lies 45 metres below sea level;
- the deepest point of the track lies approximately 40 metres below sea level;
- 2 x 2-lane motorway in both directions and 2 x 1 railway line in both directions;
- one tunnel segment contains 33,000 m³ of concrete;
- one tunnel segment displaces 75,000 tonnes of seawater when it is positioned in place.
To the live stream of the immersion 👉https://lnkd.in/ekiiYhei
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