EUROPE: A virtual groundbreaking ceremony was held on January 1 to officially mark the start of construction of the 18 km Fehmarnbelt tunnel between Denmark and Germany.
Plans for a live event in Rødbyhavn on January 4 had been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Participants in the virtual event included Denmark’s Minister of Transport Benny Engelbrecht, his German counterpart Andreas Scheuer and European Co-ordinator for the TEN-T Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor Pat Cox.
The activation of the main works contracts for the immersed tube rail and road tunnel on January 1 follows the rejection last year of the final legal challenges to the project in Germany.
‘After 25 years of planning, the day has come when the many thousands of pages of analysis and reports become a construction site’, said the Danish Ministry of Transport & Housing.
‘One of the largest construction projects in Danish history can now start’, added Engelbrecht. ‘Many thousands of employees will have their permanent workplace in Rødbyhavn for the next 8½ years. I look forward to being able to use the tunnel in 2029.’
