Europe is set to welcome the world’s longest underwater road and rail tunnel. Here’s how it’s being built. An 18-kilometre tunnel will soon link southern Denmark with northern Germany beneath the Baltic Sea.
When it opens in 2029, the ambitious immersed road and rail link will be the longest of its kind worldwide, slashing travel times for tourists and commuters between the two countries. As construction gets underway, Euronews Travel speaks with the team behind the to find out more. Currently, travelling between the of Lolland and the German isle of Fehmarn involves a 45-minute ferry ride.
Connecting Rødbyhavn on the Danish side with Puttgarden on the German side, the Fehmarnbelt tunnel promises to cut this journey to 10 minutes by car and just seven minutes by . “For , it means a faster and more reliable connection between Denmark and Germany, significantly reducing travel time and making daily commutes much more convenient,” Denise Juchem, a spokesperson from Femern A/S - the Danish company preparing the project - tells Euronews Travel. It will also reduce congestion on existing road and rail routes.
For tourists, the tunnel will make it easier to explore both countries, they add. Connecting with onward travel north to Copenhagen via the Danish island of Zealand, “the Fehmarnbelt tunnel will revolutionise travel between and Central Europe by providing a faster, more reliable and direct connection.” The tunnel’s road will also connect to Germany’s motorwa.