Some of the world’s largest backhoes hard at work on the Fehmarnbelt project

Femern A/S announced today that their contractors are making great progress on the construction of the Femern tunnel on the German side by Puttgarden.

The tunnel portal, where the traffic will be driven in and out of the tunnel, is clearly seen in the water. Contrary to the Danish portal, the tunnel ramps here will start further on land.

Some of the world’s largest backhoe dredges, the “Magnor” and “Simson” are currently engaged in this project.

According to Femern, the world’s largest floating excavators are working on the 18 kilometer long tunnel running, where they have now dug up approx. a third of the total amount of earth.

The tunnel — known as the Fehmarnbelt link — is being built as an immersed tunnel between Rødbyhavn on Lolland and the German island of Fehmarn.

In contrast to a bored tunnel, an immersed tunnel is made up of hollow concrete elements, cast on land and assembled section by section to form the tunnel.

A trench for the tunnel must first be dug in the seabed in order to build the Fehmarnbelt link. This trench will be up to 60 metres wide, 16m deep and 18 kilometres long.