Posts Tagged ‘infrastructure’
The first element of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel successfully immersed
After a multi-day operation, the first of a total of 89 concrete elements for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel is now in place on the seabed. The historic event began late on Monday evening, 4 May 2026. Five tugboats and the special immersion vessel IVY transported the tunnel element from the tunnel factory at Rødbyhavn on the Danish island of Lolland to the immersion point off the Danish coast.
Around noon on Wednesday, the immersion itself began. Approximately 14 hours later, the dedicated position in the Fehmarnbelt had been reached, and the first tunnel element had been positioned precisely in the tunnel trench in front of the Danish tunnel portal. Subsequently, the element was connected to the portal using hydraulic arms. The position was then finally confirmed by precise laser measurements inside the immersed tunnel element. Later in the day, IVY will then be released from the element.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 7 May
Read MoreFirst tunnel element of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel to be immersed
The first of the 89 concrete elements that will make up the future Fehmarnbelt tunnel between Denmark and Germany is now on its way to the immersion point off the coast near Rødbyhavn on the Danish island of Lolland.
The 217-metre-long and 73,500-tonne concrete element left the work harbour of the tunnel factory at 9 pm on 4 May 2026. In preparation of the immersion, the contractors added a further 4,500 tonnes of ballast concrete to ensure the element is heavy enough to sink to the seabed. Now the just over two-kilometre journey to the immersion point off the future tunnel portal has just begun.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 4 May
Read MoreInstallation of facade and roof glazing has begun at the new Riga Central Station
In the southern part of the new Riga Central Station building, installation of facade and roof glazing has begun. Final glass installation works in passenger canopy structures above the platforms have also started. It is planned that the glazing works will take approximately 3 – 4 months, depending on weather conditions. As a result, the station building will increasingly take on its intended architectural form, previously seen only in visualizations. The total glazing area of the new station building is 1,500 m².
“This is an important construction stage in the southern part of the Rail Baltica Riga Central Station building, which will significantly transform the station’s visual identity and mark its transition into a modern, European-level transport hub. Full railway system construction will continue in the coming years. It is planned that train traffic will be able to fully use the southern part of the station from summer 2028, while the connection with the Rail Baltica station at the airport is planned for the end of 2029,” said Jānis Naglis, Board Member of SIA “Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas,” the national implementer of Rail Baltica in Latvia.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 30 Apr
Read MoreRail Baltica Industry Day 2026: strong supplier engagement drives project forward
On 27 April, RB Rail AS hosted Rail Baltica Industry Day 2026, an online seminar that drew up to 200 current and prospective suppliers, partners, and stakeholders from across the Baltics and beyond. The event offered a practical look at where the project stands today, what’s coming next, and how the supplier community can get involved.
The seminar opened with remarks from senior representatives of the three Baltic states: Andres Lindemann, Head of Rail Baltica Division at Estonia’s Ministry of Climate; Kristīne Pudiste, Deputy State Secretary of Latvia’s Ministry of Transport; and Roderikas Žiobakas, Vice-Minister of Transport and Communications of Lithuania. Each underlined the importance of cross-border cooperation and active supplier engagement in delivering one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 28 Apr
Read MoreFirst tunnel element prepared for immersion
Preparation of the first element for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel is well under way. The element, which is the first of a total of 89, has just been filled with 4,500 tonnes of ballast concrete. This increases the weight from 73,500 tonnes and enables the element to later sink in a controlled manner down onto the seabed.
The work inside the element has been carried out via a temporary access structure consisting of five shafts, which are bolted onto the watertight steel bulkheads that keep the water out. At one end there is a materials lift, a concrete shaft and a man‑access shaft, which also functions as ventilation. At the other end there is a ventilation shaft and an emergency shaft for personnel.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 22 Apr
Read MoreDelska Launches One of the Baltics’ Most Advanced and Sustainable Data Centers in Riga
On April 15, Delska, one of the leading data center operators in the Baltics, officially launched EU North Riga LV DC1 – a 10 MW data center designed for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC). The project has received the Latvian Construction Annual Award (1st place in the “Production Facility, Industrial Building” category).
The data center was created in response to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and the resulting shortage of data center capacity in major European cities, which is pushing companies to look for new regions with available resources. The company notes that this project marks only the beginning of a broader expansion of data center infrastructure in the area, reinforcing the Baltic states’ role as a competitive and sustainable digital hub in Northern Europe.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 20 Apr
Read MoreBaltic Prime Ministers convene in Tallinn with Rail Baltica at the centre of the agenda
Earlier today in Tallinn, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė convened for high-level discussions on regional cooperation, infrastructure and security. The meeting opened at the Rail Baltica Ülemiste terminal, where the three heads of government reviewed construction progress and debated on the strategic priorities of Rail Baltica.
Rail Baltica is the largest cross-border infrastructure project in the Baltic region and one of the most consequential investments Europe is making on its eastern flank. It integrates Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the European standard-gauge network, unlocks modern passenger and freight connectivity across the region, and serves a dual purpose of economic competitiveness and collective security, including military mobility in support of NATO. The shared commitment of the three governments remains firm: deliver the mainline and connect the region to Europe by 2030.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 17 Apr
Read MoreDual-use infrastructure Sweden and Finland are considering a bridge over the Gulf of Bothnia
As far as building 100km bridges go, spanning the Kvarken, a narrowing of the northern Gulf of Bothnia, would be an easy task. Thanks to relatively shallow water, a generally firm seabed and an archipelago on the Finnish side, the challenge would lie less in getting the thing built than it would with coming up with the billions euros it would cost. (Estimates range from €5bn to €100bn.) For that reason, when the idea has come up in the past, it has been easy for lawmakers in Sweden and in Finland to dismiss it as a costly white elephant that would have little benefit compared with the existing ferry service.
These days, though, the calculus that drives the cost-benefit analyses of such projects has a new variable: security. Where the idea of a better-connected region has long been framed in economic terms, a bridge across the Kvarken is increasingly being discussed as a way for Finns to remain connected to Europe in the event Russian shenanigans render the Finnish-Swedish land border unusable. For now, a Kvarken bridge remains well over the horizon: a report published last year by Finland’s transport ministry reckons that the earliest one could be open for traffic would be the early 2040s. Still, proponents are bullish: the same report found a bridge was technically feasible and laid the foundation for an assessment of its economic benefits. A journey of a hundred kilometres begins with a single report.
FURTHER READING
} Fixed link across the Kvarken discussed in the Swedish Parliament (Kvarkenrådet)
} The €30-billion bid to link Finland to the wider EU (The Parliament)
} Finland wants to build a bridge across the Baltic Sea to Sweden for better connections to Europe (Euronews)
} Huge bridge between Sweden and Finland back on the drawing board (Ingeniøren)
} Kvarken Fixed Connection Feasibility Study (Väylävirasto)
Work has begun on the Rail Baltica Kaunas Node section in Lithuania
The Rail Baltica Design Division of LTG Infra, the infrastructure company of the LTG Group, has officially begun design work on the Kaunas Node section. This is one of the most complex sections of the Poland–Latvia corridor due to its surrounding urbanized and natural areas.
Last year, LTG Infra took the initiative to establish a centre of excellence for high-speed rail design, which will complement and strengthen market capabilities. In the long term, this division — having accumulated experience in the design of high-speed railways and modern infrastructure – will be able to offer its expertise beyond Lithuania, as well as contribute to the further expansion of the European standard gauge network.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 7 Apr
Read MoreImmersion pontoon IVY passes final test and receives approval
The immersion pontoon IVY has passed its final tests and is now approved by the Danish Maritime Authority. Therefore, the contractor Femern Link Contractors (FLC) can begin preparing to immerse the first tunnel element into the dredged tunnel trench off Lolland’s coast this spring.
The special vessel IVY is comprised of two distinct units: IVY 1 & 2. Prior to the transportation and immersion of a 217-metre-long standard tunnel element, each end is securely attached to IVY 1 & 2, which provide buoyancy. For the handling of the 39-metre-long special elements, IVY 1 & 2 are joined to form a single vessel, facilitating the immersion process. Together, IVY 1 & 2 are equipped with 23 kilometres of steel wire spread over 66 winches, enabling them to submerge tunnel elements to depths of up to 40 metres with exceptional precision.
Read full announcement (external link)
Originally published on 3 Apr
Read More