Fehmarn Belt Connection
A tunnel between Denmark and Germany
Project
Fehmarn Belt Connection – a tunnel between Denmark and Germany
Client / Contracting authority
Femern A/S
Role
Client consultancy, architectural and landscape design. Landscape surveys, analysis and design of possible alignments, the main geometry of the facility, landscape processing of approx. 17 million m³ of surplus soil into new nature areas, architectural design of technical/public functions as well as visual communication.
Ingeniør
Other partners
Rambøll, Arup and TEC
Status
The connection is expected to open in 2029
Outdoor area
Tunnel length 19,8 km, in addition to extensive land facilities on both sides
Awards
Construction cost
Approx. DKK 55 billion
The Fehmarn Belt Connection will stretch approx. 20 km in length and thereby be the world’s longest immersed tunnel, linking Denmark and Germany through a four-lane motorway as well as a two-track railway. As an international infrastructure project, the connection places particular demands on landscape-strategic holistic thinking and design, supporting technical, aesthetic, and societal values.
On the Danish shore, Schønherr has designed the architectural layout of the toll station, customs facilities, and border control at Rødby Harbour. The facility is integrated into the landscape, focusing on function, scale, and aesthetics, contributing to a harmonious transition between infrastructure and the coastal zone.
The large quantitiy of excavated seabed material from digging the tunnel is actively used for coastal landscape regeneration. In front of the existing dike, a new wetland is introduced, including shallow lakes, salt meadows, and wetland habitats. These provide important habitats and resting areas along the European bird migration route – known as the “Bird Flight Line” – and they restore a coastal landscape closer to Denmark’s historic landscape shape.
Furthermore, the project includes green corridors, ecological corridors, and recreational paths that support both biodiversity and human access. In this way, infrastructure is combined with nature and experience, creating added value for the local community through a long-term, sustainable landscape strategy.
