Fehmarnbelt toll crossing

The European Community has issued an Enquiry of Commercial Interest in construction and operation of a toll crossing between Rodby Denmark and Puttgarden Germany across the 15km (9mi) Fehmarnbelt (F) strait promising a direct motorway standard route

between Hamburg (H) and Copenhagen (C).

Copenhagen was recently linked by the Oresund (O) bridge-tunnel across the Baltic Sea main channel to Malmo (M) Sweden. The Fehmarnbelt crossing is a similar length to the Oresund and Storebelt (S) crossings but the channel offers no convenient midway point like those crossings for a bridge-tunnel transition. Several bridge and tunnel solutions have been looked at in early feasibility studies. Estimated costs vary between $2.5b and $4b. The most economical design in early estimates is an immersed tube 3-lane tunnel, the center lane being a median buffer/breakdown lane. (European governments won’t support a simple 2x1-lane tube following the terrible smashes and fires in Alps tunnels of this kind.) A ferry presently carries 4k veh/day and a traffic study suggested the fixed crossing will carry about 7.7k veh/day so two travel lanes seems plenty. The tunnel would have a ventilation structure midway across the strait. A close contender would be a bridge with a cable stayed central span. A rail component is problematic. The feasibility studies suggested 83 trains/day.

At present Copenhagen-Hamburg by road and fixed crossings is an inverted-L plan trip due west to the Jutland (J) Peninsular then south totaling 420km (260mi) compared to the direct southwest trip via the Fehmarnbelt of 285km (175mi), so a 135km (85mi) savings is key to the economics of the scheme.

Representing the governments of Germany and Denmark to evaluate the proposals is Fehmarnbelt Development Joint Venture (FDJV) staffed jointly by Sund & Belt owner of the Danish StoreBelt (S) crossing and Fahmarnbelt Consulting of Germany, itself a joint venture which includes Arthur Andersen. Deadline for proposals is April 2002 and a decision is promised by end-2002. (see www.fdjv.com)