Fixed Fehmarnbelt Link: Hamburg grows beyond boundaries

The fixed Baltic link between the German island of Fehmarn and Denmark is no longer a dream, but will soon become a fact. In Copenhagen, engineers are working hard to make it possible by 2020 that drivers and train passengers will no longer have to cross the waters by ferry. Hamburg’s First Mayor Olaf Scholz treats the project with top priority: during his trip to Copenhagen, Scholz and his Danish counterpart Frank Jensen signed a Letter of Intend, committing themselves to a fixed link between the two shores. The benefits of the construction: by eliminating the 45-minute ferry trip, the travel time between Hamburg and Copenhagen will be reduced to two and a half hours

Boost for cross-border clusters

The new traffic artery will stimulate the economy. According to a study jointly conducted by the universities of Kiel and Copenhagen in early 2011, the improved infrastructure will support and stimulate cross-border clusters. These positive effects have already been experienced by the Øresund link between Copenhagen and Malmö in Sweden, with sectors such as logistics, but also environmental and information technologies and life sciences experiencing an unparalleled upswing. Since the bridge’s inauguration in 2000, border traffic has quadrupled. Once realised, the Fehmarnbelt link will open up to companies wanting to expand numerous new locations in both countries formerly difficult to reach, making company settlements along the axis Hamburg – Copenhagen much more attractive.

Wanted: properties along the corridors

This means for the estate industry:  those who will be able to furnish companies with a plot or a premise or to develop, built or sell properties will enjoy bright perspectives. The favourable prospects are also seen by the chambers of commerce in Hamburg and Lübeck. In their joint paper on the chances of the economic corridor along the A 1 motorway, they state in regard to the Fehmarnbelt link: the locational quality of the catchment area Hamburg – Malmö will be “significantly improved” and act as a “key for growth and employment throughout the region.”

Many people on both sides of the channel expect positive impulses by the construction project for the region, a survey conducted by TNS Infratest in March 2011 by order of Femern A/S revealed. When asked about the impact of a fixed Fehmarnbelt link on the region’s development, 72 per cent of Northern Germans and 66 per cent of Danes said they believed in positive consequences.

Best practice: the North opens up potentials

Until the scheduled start of construction of the fixed Fehmarnbelt link in 2014, some hurdles still have to be jumped. Specialists thus currently conduct research in the fields of geo-technology and environmental matters. In 2012, the decision between a bridge or a tunnel is due. Furthermore, required approval process is still under way in both countries. The fixed Fehmarnbelt link can be an example of best practice, illustrating how the North opens up potentials by partners collaborating across borders.

Ready by 2020: Major facts on the fixed Fehmarn Belt link

• Traffic: railway with two tracks, motorway with four lanes
• Start of construction: scheduled for 2014
• Inauguration: scheduled for 2020
• Length: 19 kilometres
• Kind of construction: tunnel or bridgeCosts: 5.1 billion euro (tunnel) or 5.2 billion euro (bridge)