Major tunnel between German and Danish islands delayed until 2031

The Fehmarn Belt Tunnel linking Germany and Denmark is now expected to open no earlier than 2031, pushing the ambitious cross-border project at further behind schedule.

The lowering of the tunnel segments has been delayed by two years, said Mikkel Hemmingsen on Friday. Hemmingsen is the chief executive of Denmark’s state-owned Sund & Bælt Holding, which owns construction company Femern.

The 18-kilometre rail and road tunnel is set to connect the German island of Fehmarn with the Danish island of Lolland. The project is expected to massively reduce travel times between Copenhagen and Hamburg.

Construction has been plagued by delays, however, with Hemmigsen warning that progress was “two years behind schedule.” The last target for completion had been 2029.

The method of lowering tunnel segments with the aid of special ships had previously only been tested in the Öresund strait between Denmark and Sweden, which at 15 metres is significantly shallower than the Fehmarn Belt at 45 metres.

“It was more difficult than planned,” said Hemmingsen. “You have to lower the segments with a precision of half a centimetre. And you have to be sure.”

Daniel Günther, premier of the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, said the tunnel is the largest construction site in Northern Europe.

Visiting the site, Günther said the region should benefit significantly from the project.

On the German side, a further tunnel is being built between Fehmarn and the German mainland, with completion also expected to be delayed beyond 2029.