The link will close the gap in the infrastructure between Scandinavia and the European continent and will hugely improve traffic conditions between the two parts of Europe. 

Increased flexibility and time savings will result in lower transport costs for train and car traffic. It will also improve business competitiveness and offer significant economic benefits.

Moreover, in terms of the environment, a fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt will generate fewer emissions once the energy-demanding ferries between Rødby and Puttgarden cease operations.

The state treaty between Denmark and Germany stipulates that the link is a Danish-owned project, i.e. Denmark will plan, construct, operate and finance the coast-coast link.

The two countries will each be responsible for developing their own traffic facilities on land as part of the project.

The coast-coast link will create an approx. 19 km long stretch between Rødby and Puttgarden and will comprise an electrified, double-track railway and a four-lane motorway.

The preferred technical solution is a cable-stayed bridge. However, an immersed tunnel is an alternative.

The aim is for the fixed link to open to traffic in 2018.

User financed
Denmark will be responsible for financing the project, which is expected to cost DKK 32.8 billion (2008 prices). Of this, the EU is expected to subsidise the project by providing at least 10 per cent of the cost, i.e. approx. DKK 3.3 billion. The first DKK 2.5 billion has already been pledged.

Denmark will determine the toll charges for crossing the link and Denmark will receive the profits and be liable for any loss incurred from the link.  The toll station for road traffic will be located in Denmark.

The construction costs, incl. interest on the entire link and the Danish landworks, are expected to be repaid within 30 years after the opening. The Danish landworks are expected to cost DKK 7.2 billion. 

Ratification and legislation
The German parliament is expected to ratify the state treaty in 2009.

In Denmark, parliament is expected to ratify the state treaty by passing a new planning act in its next session, i.e. 2008 / 2009.

Once the act has been passed, planning for both the fixed link and for the Danish landworks will begin. In tandem with this, the process under which the authorities will approve the project will be initiated.  

When the results of this process are in place, including the outcome of the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) etc., the Danish parliament will consider a public works act, which will specify the design of the structure, the environmental conditions, etc. 

The public works act is expected to be debated in the autumn of 2011 and its adoption will mark the beginning of the construction phase, most likely in 2012. 

The Environment
The environment is of paramount importance to projects the size of the Fehmarnbelt and Denmark and Germany agree that the link should be constructed and operated in such a way that any harmful effects on the environment and on nature are avoided wherever possible. 

Before construction work begins, extensive investigations and assessments of the project’s impact on the environment will be undertaken, a process known as EIA, Environmental Impact Assessment.

The EIA, which consists of public hearings, will be conducted in accordance with German and Danish legislation, the EU’s EIA directive as well as the Natura 2000 directives for the protection of birds and habitat areas.

During the EIA process and up until 2011, the relevant authorities and the public will be involved in the initial planning of the fixed link. The outcome of the EIA process will help to decide the link’s precise alignment and the final technical design.

The aim is to execute the project in the most environmentally-friendly way with due regard for what is technically feasible and economically reasonable. 

Organisation and ownership
The Fehmarnbelt project will be one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects in terms of physical dimensions and financial requirements.   

The project will also give rise to a range of complex challenges because the link will cross national borders and international waters. As the project must be approved by the authorities in both countries, differences in Danish and German legislation will mean that the planning work etc. will involve ensuring parallel authority approvals in both countries.  

In recent years, Femern A/S has carried out a number of analyses for the Danish Minister of Transport who, in partnership with the German authorities, has requested a number of investigations and reports on the Fehmarnbelt link.

Femern A/S, therefore, is assisting the Ministry of Transport with preparations for the establishment of the fixed link across Fehmarnbelt, including the preliminary environmental investigations for the EIA process.

Femern A/S is a subsidiary of Sund & Bælt Holding A/S which is responsible for the bridges across Storebælt and Øresund.  All experience from the construction and operation of these two bridges are, therefore, available for the future Fehmarnbelt project.

Sund & Bælt Holding A/S is wholly-owned by the Danish state with the Minister of Transport as the sole shareholder. The Minister appoints the Board of Directors of Sund & Bælt, which operates as an independent company.

The Minister of Transport can establish a state-owned company for the Fehmarnbelt link on similar terms and conditions. As a consequence, the project will be managed on the basis of current corporate and commercial principles. The Minister of Transport has full insight into the company’s actions and the project will benefit from state guarantees which ensure the lowest possible costs for financing the project.