Fehmarnbelt Tunnel Project Adds 300,000 Square Metres to Denmark's Coast at Rødbyhavn

Key facts

• The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel land reclamation added approximately 300,000 square metres to Denmark's southern coast at Rødbyhavn, equivalent to 42 football pitches.
• The 18-kilometre road-and-rail Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is set to be the longest of its kind in the world, connecting Rødbyhavn in Denmark with Puttgarden in Germany.
• The tunnel is scheduled for completion in 2029 and will be formed of 89 concrete elements, each 217 metres long and weighing 73,000 tonnes.
• State-owned transport company Sund & Bælt is developing the project and said the new land will become a unique experience for visitors.
• Project manager Ditte Hjort said the area will feature walking trails, ponds and wildlife including birds, amphibians and insects, with salt marshes and diverse plant life.
• The added land will be landscaped with three ponds and planting able to withstand a harsh coastal climate, using soil excavated for a tunnel factory that contains plant seeds.
• Journey times between Hamburg and Copenhagen are expected to drop to two hours by train and just over an hour by road, reducing dependence on flying.
• Denmark and Germany signed an agreement to build the tunnel in 2008, but delays followed due to opposition from ferry operators and conservation groups.