It appears that the construction of a tunnel under the Fehmarn Sound – between the island of Fehmarn and the German mainland – is now expected to be completed in 2029 at the same time as the completion of the Fehmarn Belt tunnel under the Baltic Sea.
The fear of a delay in the German project seems to have been cleared, states Minister of Transport in Schleswig-Holstein, Claus Ruhe Madsen.
This is because the Sound tunnel is now part of a special program under the German Federal Ministry of Transport, which accelerates the planning process for major infrastructure projects.
This results in a reduction of the time on "paperwork" by two years.
"We will receive the building permit earlier. With this new knowledge, I feel much calmer," says Transport Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen to Lübecker Nachrichten.
The minister has previously expressed concern about whether the Sound tunnel could be ready during 2029.
He now finds it "very likely" that the Sound tunnel will be completed on time, as the traditional German planning process no longer applies.
Most important railway project in 10 years
It seems therefore that road traffic has also been given the green light on the German side when, according to plan, the Fehmarn tunnel is taken into use in 2029.
To ensure that the same will apply to rail traffic, Claus Ruhe Madsen will meet with the CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Richard Lutz, in February, to confirm that their project will also be prioritised.
Claus Ruhe Madsen believes that the connection between Lübeck and Puttgarden is the most important railway project of the next 10 years.
"It has been recognised, and therefore there is full focus on it," he states to Lübecker Nachrichten.
Renovation of bridge and road section extension
The planned road and rail tunnel under the Fehmarn Sound will be 2.2 kilometers long and will, according to current calculations, cost 850 million Euros.
The nearly 60-year-old Fehmarn Sound bridge will be renovated in 2024 and from 2029 will mainly serve pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving vehicles.
Another infrastructure improvement plan in the wake of the fixed Fehmarn link includes the widening of the stretch of road between Heiligenhafen and Puttgarden to four lanes.
Work on this will start this year and will be completed in 2027.