Cover picture provided by Femern A/S; Go to original
The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel is one of the most impressive construction projects of our time. When completed, the tunnel will be the longest immersed tunnel in the world and will be equipped with the latest technology.
The construction sites and the entire construction process are correspondingly impressive. Fortunately, you have the opportunity to visit the construction sites in a number of ways and learn more about the Fehmarnbelt tunnel.
Read on to get a detailed overview of the various sightseeing offers and the Fehmarnbelt tunnel.
| Start of construction | 2020 on the Danish side 2021 on the German side |
| Planned construction period | 8 to 9 years |
| Planned completion | 2029 |
| Estimated costs (construction) | 7.4 billion euros (estimate April 2015) |
| Toll costs per passage | Around €66 for cars Around €280 for trucks |
| Length of tunnel | 18.1 kilometers |
| Width of the tunnel | 42 to 45 meters |
| Height of the tunnel | 9 to 13 meters |
| Depth of tunnel under water | Up to 30 meters |
| Weight of the tunnel | Approximately 73,000 tons per element Approximately 6,497,000 tons in total |
| Crossing time | About 15 minutes at 80 km/h About 10 minutes at 110 km/h (max. speed) |
| Time saving to the ferry | About 30 to 45 minutes' driving time |
| Number of tubes | 4 tubes in total plus escape route 2 tubes for cars and trucks 2 tubes for rail traffic |
| Number of lanes | Two lanes and one hard shoulder per direction of travel |
| Authorized for | Cars Trucks Trains (up to 200 km/h) |
| Connects the places | Island of Fehmarn (DE) and island of Lolland (DK) |
| Alternative connection | By car across the border at Flensburg By ferry from Puttgarden to Rødby By ferry from Rostock to Gedser |
| World record for | Longest immersed tunnel worldwide 4.5 kilometers longer than the Marmaray-Tunnel |
There are four different ways for you to visit the construction site of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel on Fehmarn and learn more about the Fehmarnbelt crossing in general.
One of the best ways to learn a lot about the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is to take the Fehmarnbelt Info Tour with the “School Bus”. On this tour, you will travel in a classic American school bus to the construction sites on the German and Danish sides.
You can start in Großebrode, Burg or at the south beach on Fehmarn, visit the construction site on the German side, take the ferry and visit the information center of the Danish project company Femern A/S. Finally, there will be a stop at the viewing tower.
The excursion takes about 6 hours and costs 49 euros per person including the ferry ride. (As of: 13th of November 24)
You can find the dates for the trips and the option for group bookings on the website of Fehmarn Tours.
Another way to learn more about the Fehmarnbeltquerung is to visit the information center in Burg on Fehmarn and the client center in Rødbyhavn on the Danish side.
At the exhibits there, you can watch videos, view visualizations, models and information boards that explain how the crossing will be built. In addition, there are employees on site to answer your questions, and for children there is entertainment and a coloring corner.
For groups of 10 or more people, it is recommended to book a lecture or a guided tour at least 14 days in advance. For more information, see the section “Presentations and guided tours by the developer, Femern A/S”.
Website: https://femern.com/de/besuchen-sie-uns/burg/
Address: Ohrtstraße 40, 23769 Burg auf Fehmarn
Phone: +49 (0) 4371 888 88 92
Email: info@femern.de
Website: https://femern.com/de/besuchen-sie-uns/
Address: Havnegade 2, 4970 Rødby
Phone: +45 33 41 63 10
Email: ownersoffice@femern.dk
If you are part of a group of 6 to 35 people and would like to visit the exhibition or learn more about the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel in general, you can book a free presentation or a free guided tour.
The lecture or tour must be booked at least 14 days in advance.
Click or tap here to proceed to the Fehmarn A/S booking page.
A final opportunity to view the Fehmarnbelt project is to take a look at the routes on Fehmarn and near Rødby, as well as the viewing platform at Rødby.
You can follow the routes on foot, by bike or, in some cases, by car to get to the exhibition and the lookout tower.
A new platform is currently being built, which will be over 217 meters long and up to 24 meters high, and is scheduled to open in 2025. From there you can see the entire construction site on the Danish side, the tunnel factory and the surrounding area.
You can find all further information here.
Work to dismantle the temporary retention dam has been ongoing since the beginning of September.
The first 100 meters of the tunnel on Fehmarn were concreted and completed using the cut-and-cover method. After the bulkheads had been installed in the tunnel tubes, part of the excavation pit could be flooded.
On the German side, work continued at the tunnel portal.
The Fehmarnbelt tunnel is one of Europe's most ambitious infrastructure projects. When completed, it will connect the island of Fehmarn in Germany with the Danish island of Lolland. At 18.1 kilometers long, the tunnel will be the longest of its kind in the world and a technological masterpiece. Find out everything about the planning, construction and challenges of this unique construction project here.
The Fehmarnbelt tunnel is being constructed using the immersed tunnel method, a technique in which prefabricated concrete elements are laid on the seabed. The tunnel will consist of four tubes: two for road traffic, two for rail traffic, and an additional escape route. This structure offers both flexibility and safety, as the tunnel will be accessible to all modes of transport – from cars and trucks to high-speed trains, which will be able to travel through the tunnel at speeds of up to 200 km/h.
The tunnel is being built out of 89 giant concrete elements, each 217 meters long and weighing around 73,000 tons. These are being manufactured in a specially constructed tunnel factory in Rødbyhavn on the Danish side. The width of the tunnel varies between 42 and 45 meters, while the height varies between 9 and 13 meters. To place these dimensions underwater, an average of 12 meters deep trench is excavated in the seabed of the Fehmarnbelt. In total, about 15 million cubic meters of seabed were excavated.
The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Germany and Denmark. While the current ferry connection between Puttgarden and Rødby takes about 45 minutes of pure travel time, drivers and trains can cross the tunnel in just 7 to 15 minutes. This results in a time saving of three-quarters of an hour or more. The train journey from Hamburg to Copenhagen can be shortened from 5 to 2.5 hours.
For international trade and tourism, this means a huge increase in efficiency.
The construction costs amount to around 7.4 billion euros (as of 2015), with Denmark providing the majority of the funding. Germany is bearing the costs for the expansion of road and rail connections on the German side.
The planning of the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel was characterized by numerous technical, ecological and legal challenges. The tunnel passes through a sensitive ecosystem, and extensive environmental assessments were required to minimize the impact of construction on the flora and fauna of the Fehmarn Belt. To avoid permanently affecting the seabed, it will be partially refilled and restored after excavation.
Another key concern was to ensure traffic connections during construction. The existing ferry service will remain in operation throughout the entire construction period to ensure an uninterrupted connection between Germany and Denmark.
Extensive preparations have been made since construction began in 2021. These included the construction of work ports on both sides, the erection of construction site facilities and the establishment of the tunnel factory in Rødbyhavn.
At the same time, the seabed was excavated to make room for the concrete elements. This required the use of the latest dredging technologies and environmental protection measures.
The concrete elements are cast in the tunnel factory, stored and then lowered into the prepared route in the seabed. This phase is one of the most technologically demanding steps.
The portals that provide access to the tunnel are being constructed on both sides of the Fehmarnbelt. This is where the connections to the existing road and rail infrastructure will be established.
Once all elements are lowered and connected, the waterproof seal is installed and the interior work is carried out. Finally, the tunnel route is tested and opened to traffic.
Safety is the top priority for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. All tubes are equipped with the latest monitoring and ventilation technology, and regular emergency exits guarantee the safety of users. In addition, measures have been taken to maximize the tunnel's energy efficiency. For example, innovative lighting systems are used that minimize energy consumption.
Environmental protection boats were also constantly in operation during the excavation of the trench, for example, permanently measuring the sediment load to ensure that the limit values were not exceeded.
The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel will not only be an engineering feat, but will also promote the economic development of the region. The connection will create new jobs, boost tourism and increase the region's attractiveness for companies.
The tunnel will also make life much easier for travelers, as it offers a faster and more reliable connection between Scandinavia and Central Europe.
In particular, when the weather conditions were poor, such as during storms, the operation of the ferries and the Fehmarnsund Bridge often caused problems because the ships could not dock or the bridge was closed.
This has resulted in massive delays, traffic jams and accidents, which can be avoided by using the Fehmarn Belt tunnel and the new Fehmarnsundtunnel.
The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel is scheduled for completion in 2029, and construction work is progressing rapidly. This project will usher in a new era of cross-border mobility that will bring not only Denmark and Germany, but also the whole of Europe, closer together.
The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel is a great example of how modern engineering and sustainable planning can go hand in hand to create forward-looking solutions for mobility.
There are currently three different webcams and streams from Femern A/S that you can use to view the construction sites.
This link will take you to the playlist on YouTube, where you can find all webcam livestreams.
You have booked a Vacation accommodation on Fehmarn and are looking for more Sights on Fehmarn or want to Rent sports equipment or beach chairs? Then follow the links for more information.