The first of the 217m-long tunnel elements for the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is now in place on the seabed.
After a multi-day operation, the first of a total of 89 concrete elements has been immersed. The manoeuvre began late on Monday, May 4 when five tugboats and the special immersion vessel IVY transported the element from the tunnel factory at Rødbyhavn on the Danish island of Lolland to the immersion point off the Danish coast.
The immersion itself began at around noon on Wednesday. Approximately 14 hours later, the dedicated position in the Fehmarnbelt had been reached, and the tunnel element had been positioned precisely in the tunnel trench in front of the Danish tunnel portal. The element was then connected to the portal using hydraulic arms.
The position was confirmed by laser measurements inside the immersed tunnel element. Later in the day, IVY was released from the element.
The two immersion pontoons will be towed back to the work harbour and will be replaced by another special vessel, which will place large quantities of gravel along the sides of the element. This ensures it remains securely in position.
Each 217m-long element weighs more than 73,500 tonnes. The elements are divided into five tubes – two for the future motorway, two for the railway and one for technical installations.
“We are both happy and relieved. Our technology, our equipment and our contractors have demonstrated their capabilities and achieved something no-one has done before. It is a very big day for the project, for Denmark and Germany and for Europe,” said Sund & Bælt CEO Mikkel Hemmingsen.
In the coming years, the remaining 88 elements will be immersed one by one and connected in an excavated trench in the seabed up to 40m below the sea surface. At 18km, the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel will by far be the longest immersed tunnel in the world.
The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link has been designated a priority project by the European Commission, which has awarded the project roughly €1.3bn in construction funding.
“The immersion of the first tunnel element is a historic achievement. The world is watching, and you are showcasing European engineering and construction at its very best. The tunnel will connect regions more closely and create new momentum between Malmö, Copenhagen, Hamburg and onwards into Europe. The European Commission will continue to support this project all the way,” said European Commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
When the tunnel is completed, it will be possible to cross the Fehmarnbelt in 10 minutes by car and seven minutes by train. The tunnel will halve railway journey times between Copenhagen and Hamburg to 2.5 hours.
