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Germany, Denmark to build bridge across Baltic
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-03 08:49

BERLIN -- German Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee and his Danish counterpart Carina Christensen are to sign an agreement to build a bridge connecting Germany and Denmark across the Baltic Sea, local media reported on Tuesday.

The bridge for rail and car traffic between Roedby in Denmark and Puttgarden on the German island of Fehmarn will shorten the four and half hour trip between Hamburg and Copenhagen by an hour and also improve the rail connection between Berlin and Copenhagen.

According to German news agency DPA, the two ministers are to sign the deal in Copenhagen on Wednesday as the Danish parliament had agreed to the agreement on Tuesday.

Cost for the huge project is estimated at 5.6 billion euros ( around $8.1 billion dollars). The Danish government is to contribute 4.8 billion euros.

The costs will be recouped by introducing a toll. Works are scheduled to start in 2011 and be completed by 2018.