Is it just us, or are transport projects getting more ambitious?
First, there was the news that the bridge between Sicily and the Italian mainland might actually go ahead. Then there was the news that an underwater tunnel could connect Europe and Africa by 2030. And this week, the first part of another subaqueous tunnel was completed – this time between Denmark and Germany.
That’s right: you’ll soon be able to zip between Scandinavia and Central Europe via a brand-new underwater tunnel. The Fehmarnbelt link is currently under construction, but once built it will be the world’s longest immersed tunnel, stretching 18km across the Baltic Sea.
Currently, the only way to travel between the two countries is via a 45-minute ferry, but that journey time will be dramatically slashed once the Fehmarnbelt tunnel is complete. The tunnel will contain a two-lane motorway and a double-track railway so that both cars and trains can cross. Driving will take ten minutes while travelling via train will take only seven. How’s that for efficiency?
The tunnel will be completed in parts, and one bit is already complete. The 217-metre section was inaugurated by the Danish King on Monday and will soon be submerged into the Baltic Sea.
