European route E47 is a road (part of the United Nations international E-road network) connecting Lübeck in Germany to Helsingborg in Sweden via the Danish capital Copenhagen. It is also known as the Vogelfluglinie (German) or Fugleflugtslinjen (Danish). The road is of motorway standard all the way except for in Germany and 6 km (4 miles) of city roads in Helsingør, Denmark; there are also two ferry connections.

Improvements

A fixed link between Germany and Denmark was planned to have been completed by 2020, now delayed to 2029. It will be a tunnel rather than a bridge.

The road across Fehmarn will be widened from two to four lanes before the tunnel opens. A construction start ceremony was held for this on 25 August 2023.

Although a bridge-tunnel combination (the Øresund Bridge) has been constructed between Denmark and Sweden further south, a very frequent ferry service continues to operate between Helsingør in Denmark and the northern terminus of the E47 at Helsingborg in Sweden. There are plans to build a tunnel here as well, the HH Tunnel, which does not have any financing approved or time plan set.

Other road numbers

The ferry route Helsingborg–Helsingør is part of E47 according to the UN definition, and signposted so in Denmark, but the ferry is not signposted with any road number in Sweden. The ferry was part of E4 until 1992, but was signposted so for several further years in Sweden.

The Danish E-roads have no other national numbers (the national number is the same as the E-number, here 47, but only the E-sign is posted). Between Helsingborg and Eskilstrup on the island of Falster, 160 km, the E47 shares road with the E55. Since 2018 E55 is not signposted between Helsingør and Køge. Between Køge and Copenhagen (29 km), also the E20 shares the same road. Danish roads 9 and 19 share roads with the E47 short parts.

In Germany the motorway has the national number BAB 1. The part without motorway has the national number B 207. This part is a kind of expressway without any roads crossing on the same level. It has a number of road crossings built like motorway exits.

At the introduction of the new numbering scheme in 1992, the E47 was originally devised to continue from Helsingborg northward through Sweden and Norway to Gothenburg, Oslo, Trondheim and finally Olderfjord, replacing almost all of the old European route E6. After negotiations between UNECE and the Swedish and Norwegian authorities, this plan was abandoned, and the E6 remains designated as such, both on signage and in the official documents, throughout its entire old length in Scandinavia (including the snippets Trelleborg–Malmö and Malmö–Helsingborg, which are concurrent with the E22 and the E20 respectively, and were never intended to become parts of the E47). A similar solution was made for the E4 through Sweden. These two roads are the most conspicuous exceptions to the rule that even numbers signify west-to-east E-roads.

Exits and service areas in Denmark

thumb|E47 route

thumb|Southern Farø bridge

  • 15px
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 3 Espergærde
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 4 Kvistgård
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 5 Humlebæk
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 6 Nivå
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 7 Kokkedal
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 9 Hørsholm C
  • 15px|15px Isterød
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 10 Hørsholm S
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 12 Vedbæk
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 13 Gl. Holte
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 14 Nærum
  • 15px|15px Lærkereden/Storkereden
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 15 Lundtofte
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 16 Lyngby C
  • File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Kgs. Lyngby København
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 17 Jægersborgvej
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 18 Nybrovej
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 19 Buddinge
  • File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Gladsaxe Hillerød Copenhagen
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 20 Gladsaxe
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 21 Frederikssundvej
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 23 Jyllingevej
  • File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Rødovre Frederikssund, Ballerup
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 24 Roskildevej
  • File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Brøndby Roskilde Copenhagen
  • File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Avedøre Malmö
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 25 Vallensbæk S
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 26 Ishøj Strand
  • File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Ishøj Ballerup, Ishøj
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 27 Greve N
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 28 Greve C
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 29 Greve S
  • 20px20px | 20px20px Karlslunde
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 30 Solrød N
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 31 Solrød S Roskilde
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 32 Køge
  • File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Køge Vest Odense
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 33 Lellinge
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 34 Herfølge
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 35 Haslev
  • 20px|20px Piberhus
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 36 Bregentved
  • File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Næstved Næstved (planned)
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 37 Rønnede
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 38 Tappernøje 20px20px|20px20px
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 39 Bårse
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 40 Udby
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 41 Vordingborg
  • Northern Farø bridge
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 42 Farø 20px
  • Southern Farø bridge
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 43 Nørre Alslev
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 44 Eskildstrup Nykøbing F, Gedser
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 45 Guldborg, Majbølle
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 46 Sakskøbing
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 47 Våbensted
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 48 Maribo Tårs (ferry port)
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 49 Holeby
  • File:AB-AS-grün.svg 50 Rødbyhavn
  • 15px

Exits and service areas in Germany

:Common with road 207

  • Image:AB-AZ.svg1 Puttgarden ferry port
  • Image:AB-AZ.svg2 Burg auf Fehmarn
  • Image:AB-AZ.svg3 Avendorf
  • Fehmarn Sound bridge
  • Petrol station
  • Image:AB-AZ.svg4 Großenbrode

:Common with Bundesautobahn 1

  • See the Bundesautobahn 1 article for the exit list.

Termini

The northern terminus is at the ferry port in Helsingborg, where the European route E4 begins. The southern terminus is at E22 north of Lübeck.

References