In 1991 the Denmark and Swedish governments agreed to build a fixed link to connect the two countries across Øresund.
The Øresund Link is 16.7-km long, and provides a direct traffic and train connection between Copenhagen and Malmö. The link consists of a peninsula of 1-km, a tunnel of 4-km, an artificial island of 4-km and a bridge of 7.7-km.

The immersed part of the tunnel has a length of 3500-m and runs under the Drodgen Channel. The partnership, Tunnel Engineering Consultants (TEC), in which Royal Haskoning participates, has been responsible for the design and construction supervision of the tunnel.

The Øresund tunnel is the world's largest concrete immersed tunnel comprising 20 immersed elements; it was constructed in an innovative and exclusive manner, located about 10-km from the site. The motorway and railway pass through the tunnel side by side in 4 separate tubes integrated in one cross section. The total width of the tunnel’s cross-section is approximately 40-m. The tunnel’s foundation consists of a gravel bed placed with high accuracy.

The safety of tunnel users was an important part of the design; therefore between the motorway tubes is a centrally located gallery that runs along the entire tunnel length with emergency exits located at 88-m intervals. The tunnel is equipped with fire-protection material and state of the art tunnel installations and traffic management systems.

TEC’s involvement in the project, in partnership with Øresund Link Consultants n.v., included the design, preparation of contract documents, tendering, supervision and monitoring of the detailed design and construction works for the tunnel, the artificial island, and peninsula.

Wim Janssen
T +31 (0)24 3284 335
E Wim Janssen