Start of construction of the Femern project, the world’s longest immersed tunnel, set to connect Denmark and Germany

On 1 January 2021, the Femern Link Contractors joint venture began work on the world's longest immersed tunnel. Up to 9 metres high and 43 metres wide, the 18 km long combined road and rail tunnel linking Germany and Denmark will foster trade and tourism in Northern Europe. Works have started on the Danish side, with the construction of the factory that will manufacture the 200-metre precast concrete box girders that will be immersed to form the fixed link between Denmark’s Lolland Falster region and Germany’s Schleswig Holstein Land. The project will have a workforce of 2,000 employees at the peak of activity. This new infrastructure facility, one of the most ambitious ongoing projects in Europe, will shorten the journey between the German and Danish coasts to just 7 minutes by train and 10 minutes by car from the current travel time of one hour by ferry or a 160 km detour by car. Delivery is scheduled for mid-2029.

Hakim Naceur, Project Director, Tunnel North and Tunnel South Contract: ”We have been looking forward to this moment and are very pleased that this magnificent project can now be realized. It will be a great achievement when complete – an achievement which cannot be done without the help, commitment and cooperation of the owner Femern A/S and of our partners, subcontractors & suppliers and of all the German and Danish stakeholders”.

Christian Lundhus, Project Director, Tunnel, Portal and Ramps Contract: “Our team which is growing day by day is excited to be part of the project and is already very busy. As of today, we have much focus on the design, the site in Rødby is being prepared for our offices, village and not least the huge factory which is to be used for constructing the tunnel elements”.   

The joint venture comprises VINCI Construction Grands Projets (lead company for the two contracts covering construction of the immersed tunnel and the tunnel precast element factory), Per Aarsleff Holding A/S (lead company for the third contract, which covers the tunnel access ramps), Soletanche Bachy International (a VINCI Construction subsidiary), CFE, Dredging International NV, Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau, Max Bögl Stiftung & Co, BAM Infra and BAM International. Consultant: COWI

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