Seven minutes. This is the time it will take to go from Denmark to Germany, or vice versa, once the tunnel is completed Fehmarnbelt. This record-breaking infrastructure, whose construction has just begun, is not only an impressive feat of engineering, but a real bridge (or rather, tunnel) to the future of European transport. Get ready to rethink the concept of international travel: the sea will no longer be an obstacle, but with infrastructures like these it will be a simple underground parenthesis in your journey.
A work of titanic proportions
The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is not just any project. With his over 18 kilometers in length is preparing to become the longest underwater tunnel in the world. This gigantic infrastructure will connect the Danish island of Lolland with the German island of Fehmarn, passing under the Fehmarn Strait in the Baltic Sea. As mentioned, the impact of this infrastructure on travel times will be significant. The Danish Transport Minister underlines this well, Thomas Danielsen:
With the Fehmarnbelt tunnel, we get a fantastic cross-border infrastructure project.
What is now a 45-minute ferry ride will turn into a rapid transit of just 7 minutes by train. And that's not all: the tunnel will drastically reduce travel times between major European cities. For example, the train journey between Hamburg and Copenhagen will increase from the current 5 hours just 3 hours. The Fehmarnbelt will not just be a railway tunnel. It will also host a four-lane highway, offering a quick and direct alternative for road traffic. This will save about an hour of travel between the two banks, eliminating the need for long detours of approximately 480 kilometres. In the footsteps of great tunnels of our history, I would say.
Ambitious infrastructures, ambitious challenges
A project of this magnitude is not without implementation difficulties, obviously. Building an underwater tunnel requires cutting-edge technology and meticulous planning. Furthermore, as with any major infrastructure project, there are concerns about the environmental impact. However, supporters of the project point to the potential long-term environmental benefits. Søren Have, from the Copenhagen climate think tank Concito, says:
Clearly these infrastructures involve substantial carbon emissions during construction, but some have the potential to pay for them over time, through lower emissions due to reduced or changed traffic patterns. The Fehmarnbelt tunnel is one of them.
The future is under construction
The Fehmarnbelt tunnel is an important piece in strategy of sustainable transport infrastructure in the European Union. By facilitating rail transport, the tunnel could help reduce travel-related CO2 emissions. According to the data by Our World in Data, choose the train instead of the car for medium-distance trips it could reduce pollution that causes global warming by about 80%.
With the start of construction, the countdown to the completion of the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel has officially begun. The expected opening date it is 2029, an ambitious but achievable goal. When operational, this tunnel will not just be a physical connection between two countries, but a symbol of European integration and the vision of an increasingly connected and sustainable continent. Good work!
