Fehmarnbelt Tunnel mega project for Northern Europe

The transport phase in preparation for the immersion of the first tunnel element from the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel began on the 4th of May. This marks an important milestone in the European mega-project connecting continental Europe and Scandinavia. 

With a length of 18 kilometres, the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is set to be the longest immersed tunnel in the world – over three times as long as the current frontrunner the 5.8-kilometre Transbay Tube in San Francisco.

Engineers from several European countries are collaborating closely within the RAT Joint Venture of technical consultants, combining the complementary expertise of Ramboll, Arup and TEC. Tunnel Engineering Consultants (TEC) is a partnership of Dutch engineering firms Witteveen+Bos and Haskoning, which have been working together since 1988. The RAT Joint Venture has been working with the client Sund & Bælt since 2008, providing expert advice in a range of technical disciplines.

The 18-kilometre-long Fehmarnbelt Tunnel provides commuters with a much faster and weather-independent journey. The tunnel is designed as a highway and a double railway, making the switch from freight lorries to environmentally-friendly trains much more attractive.

The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will complete the high-speed rail connection between Stockholm and Hamburg. 

The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel in numbers

• 18-kilometre tunnel consisting of 79 standard and 10 Special Tunnel Elements
• A Standard Tunnel Element is 217 metres long and a Special Tunnel Element is 39 metres long
• A total of 90 immersion operations will be carried out: 79 Standard Tunnel Elements, 10 Special Tunnel Elements, and 1 closing joint
• The deepest point of the trench is 45 metres below sea level, and the deepest point of the track is about 40 metres below sea level
• Includes a 2 x 2-lane highway and 2 x 1 railway line there and back
• One Standard Tunnel Element contains 33,000 m3 of concrete, and displaces 75,000 tons of seawater when set in place