WORLD’S LONGEST UNDERWATER ROAD WILL LINK GERMANY AND DENMARK

Germany and Denmark are two European countries divided by the Baltic Sea. In 2029, these two countries will be connected by the world’s longest road and rail tunnel under the same Baltic Sea.

The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will be 18 kilometres long and built with a hefty budget of 7 billion euros. The name comes from the Fehmarn Belt, the strait between the Danish island of Lolland and the German island of Gehmarn.

The aim of the tunnel is to create an alternative to the current ferry service from Rodby to Puttgarden. The popular ferry service carries millions of passengers every year.

Once the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is completed, the 45-minute ferry crossing could also be completed in seven minutes if you use the train or in 10 minutes if you choose to travel by car.

The tunnel will have two electrified rail track as well as two double-lane motorways that will be separated by a service passageway.

The tunnel is expected to become a popular land route between Sweden and Central Europe as well as it’s 160 kilometres shorter than the current route.

The project has been decades in the making. In 2008, the two countries signed a treaty to build the tunnel. It’s taken more than 10 years for the necessary legislation to be passed by both countries. Geotechnical and environmental impact studies also took some time.

With construction set to start in full swing soon, the project should be finished within five years.

Image credit: Grupo Elecnor