There have been new restricted areas between Fehmarn and Lolland since the beginning of July: Construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel is picking up speed and excavation work has begun. On Monday, construction work also officially began on the German side with the ground-breaking ceremony.
Sailors will have a lot to consider in the Belt in the coming years. This is because the tunnel will not be bored underground, but built from the sea surface.
First, a trench around twelve metres deep is dug at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, into which 89 tunnel elements, each 217 metres long, are then lowered. The tunnel will then be covered with a layer of stone. It should be completed by 2029, with the offshore work lasting until 2027.
What sailors need to consider
1 The trench for lowering the elements is currently being excavated. Restricted areas have been set up for this purpose, which will move as the construction work progresses. Please note: The restricted areas have only been in place since July and only appear on updated nautical charts.
2 The excavated seabed is transported to Lolland by barge to the land reclamation areas there. An average of four ships (barges, tugs, survey vessels) can be expected per hour. Land will also be reclaimed to the east of Puttgarden. The cross-section of the sound will change at these points.
3 Two new restricted areas have been established off Rødbyhavn, where the offshore construction work is being carried out. Only vehicles involved in construction are allowed to enter.
4 One to two tunnel elements per week are expected to be lowered from 2024 to 2026. A holding area will be set up for this purpose, i.e. another restricted area. The tunnel elements themselves will be produced east of Rødbyhavn and transported away via the working harbour.
5 Around Rødbyhavn, in addition to busy ferry operations, there is now also plenty of construction site traffic to be expected. The working harbour should be completed by the end of 2021. The tunnel element factory will be supplied from here and the tunnel elements will also be transported away later. The work vehicles are travelling east of the tunnel route.
6 Like pipelines and cable routes, the route of the tunnel will be marked on the nautical charts and anchoring will be prohibited. The seabed should be just as deep as before once the tunnelling is complete.
7 The shipping route will not be completely closed at any time during the construction period. Traffic will be diverted around the construction work.
8 The construction of a working harbour in Puttgarden is scheduled to begin in 2021.
9 A tunnel is also planned in Fehmarnsund. The Fehmarnsund Bridge will remain open for slow motorised traffic, pedestrians and cyclists.
How to navigate safely:
A German-Danish traffic control centre with the call name "Fehmarnbelt Traffic" has been set up on channel 68 specifically to ensure traffic safety during the construction work. Skippers are requested to register there when entering the Belt and to keep a listening watch in Dual Watch on channel 16.
The assistance tug "Fairplay 31" is stationed around the clock near the working areas. Vehicles that suffer a technical defect that hinders manoeuvrability within the area can request it via "Fehmarnbelt Traffic". According to the property developer, the towing service is free of charge.
The excavation work is always carried out in two working areas along the tunnel route. This means that excavation is not carried out continuously in one direction, for example from north to south. The location of the current exclusion zones is published in the "Notices to Mariners" and by the Danish Maritime Authority. Nautical information must be obtained and charts updated before every voyage.
Current information under: www.elwis.de and www.dma.dk.
