Aktueller Planungsstand der festen Fehmarnbeltquerung - ein 18 km langer Unterwassertunnel

Design status of the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link - an 18 km long underwater tunnel

Since the middle of the last century plans were made to connect the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland via a fixed link.
On 3rd September 2008, the Danish and German Ministers of Transport signed a treaty to establish a fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt between Lolland and Fehmarn.
As one of the first steps towards realisation of the fixed link a bridge and an immersed tunnel option were designed by two separate groups of consultants. In February 2011, the tunnel design was selected for further development.
An immersed tunnel with a length of 18.1 km under the seabed constitutes a unique structure with a special characteristic not comparable to other tunnel projects around the world.
Almost 20 Mio. m³ soil needs to be dredged from up to 40 m water depth. The standardised tunnel elements will have dimensions of approximately 220 m × 41 m × 9 m. The elements will be produced in a purpose made production site including a launching basin.
In this article the design, the geotechnical particularities, approval aspects and technical details will be described.