How long will the fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt be?

From shore to shore, the link will be approximately 19 km long and consist of a four-lane motorway and a double track railway line.

Why has it not yet been decided whether the fixed link across
the Fehmarnbelt will be a bridge or a tunnel?

Denmark and Germany have agreed that a cable-stayed bridge is the preferred solution from a financial and technical point of view, and that an immersed tunnel is the preferred alternative. The technical solution chosen will depend on the results of the investigations into the project. These will include environmental and navigational safety aspects to find out which is the best solution. The Danish parliament is expected to take a final decision in the course of 2012. It will take the form of an Act of Parliament about the construction.

When will the fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt be opened?

The goal is to open the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link in 2018, by which time the land works such as approach roads and viaducts in Denmark must also be ready.

Where exactly will the bridge or tunnel be located?

The precise location and layout of the fixed link have not yet been finalised. Femern A/S is investigating a broad corridor spanning the current ferry route. The precise location and layout will be finalised once the project has been approved by Germany and Denmark at the end of 2012.

How many cars and trains are expected to cross the fixed link every day?

The overall number of vehicles crossing the fixed link daily in the first year of operation is expected to be 7,700. Five years after the opening, it is expected that 10,300 vehicles will cross daily. In the first 25 years after the opening, an average annual growth in traffic of 1.7 percent is expected. In the first year of opening, 14,600 passenger trains and 15,700 goods trains are expected to cross the Fehmarnbelt.

Do the traffic estimates take into account whether there will still be ferries between Rødby and Puttgarden?

In the traffic estimates, no account has been taken of any ferries continuing to operate after the fixed link is open. It is up to the ferry companies to decide if they wish to continue serving the route once the fixed link is open.

What will the fixed link end up costing?

Prior to the Environmental Impact Assessment, the estimated cost of a cable-stayed bridge from shore to shore is Euro 4.5 billion. If a tunnel is built instead, it will be Euro 5.5 billion. For the construction work on land at the Danish side, the estimated cost is Euro 1 billion, including a 50 percent contingency. These were calculated at 2008 costs and as is normal for this type of project, are subject to uncertainty. Germany will be paying for the construction of the land works in Germany.

Who is going to pay for the fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt?

The users, not taxpayers, will pay for the coast-to-coast link. The fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt will be financed by loans which the Danish government will guarantee, as well as with subsidies from the EU. The money borrowed will be paid back through the charges people will pay to use it, just as is the case for the fixed links across the Great Belt and the Øresund.

How long will it take to pay back the money borrowed to build the fixed link
and the land works on the Danish side?

The financial analysis done in September 2008 showed that it will take 30 years to repay the money borrowed to build a cable-stayed bridge and the Danish land works. 

Does the fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt get money from the EU?

The EU has a programme called TEN (Trans European Network), which has already granted around Euro 339 million to the Fehmarnbelt project to cover the period from 2007 until 2013. In addition, around Euro 12 million have been given for the initial investigations about building the land facilities on the Danish side. As the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link will be an important traffic corridor for Northern Europe, it is expected that further grants from the TEN programme in the next budget period (2014-2020) where the grant will be direct related to the construction period.

What will it cost to drive across the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link?

Prices have not been fixed yet, but the financial calculations were done on the basis of the cost of using the ferry in 2007, with adjustments for inflation.

Will the rest of the infrastructure on both sides of the Fehmarnbelt be upgraded as part of the project to build the fixed link?

The state treaty between Germany and Denmark about building the fixed link obliges both countries to invest in upgrading the road and railway infrastructure leading to the actual coast-to-coast link.

Who will build the fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt, and who will own it?

A state-owned Danish company will design, plan, finance, build and own the fixed coast-to-coast link across the Fehmarnbelt. The project design and planning for the coast-to-coast link has been given to Femern A/S, a company 100 percent owned by the Danish state. The Danish Public Transport Authority and the Danish Road Directorate will undertake the design and planning of the land works on the Danish side.