Øresund link

Project description

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 with a length of 1km, a tunnel of 4 km, an artificial island of 4 km and a bridge of 7.7 km in length.

The tunnel is realised using the immersed tunnel method. The immersed part of the tunnel has a length of 3500 m and runs under the Drodgen Channel. The Øresund tunnel is the world's largest concrete immersed tunnel comprising 20 immersed elements. Each is 176 m long and is made up of 8 segments of 22 m each. The tunnel has two railway tubes, two motorway tubes and an escape gallery. The outer dimensions of the cross section are 8.5m by 41.7 m.

The tunnel element has been constructed in an innovative and exclusive manner, located about 10 km from the site, using an industrial method with 2 parallel production lines using the incremental cast & launch method. This method involves the casting of individual discrete segments on a fixed casting bed. After a minimum curing period the segment is pushed clear of the casting bed for match casting of the next segment on the same bed. Each segment was casted in a single pour (full section casting).

The tunnel’s foundation consists of a gravel bed placed with high accuracy. For this purpose a special multi purposed pontoon was developed by the D&C contractor that allowed for the required high accuracy placement of the gravel bed (scrading method).

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

Scope of work

Employer’s consultant for the design, tendering, detailed supervision and monitoring and all other related activities to complete the project according to the specifications.