German authorities approved on Friday an $8 billion rail and road tunnel linking Denmark and Germany, Reuters reported.

The approval was issued by the Ministry of Transport of the German Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein. The company now has 14 days to review documents before signing.

The 19 km Fehmarnbelt link, connecting the Danish island of Lolland to the island of Fehmarn on the German side, was set to be completed in 2024, but has been delayed by environmental protests in Germany.

The trip between the countries will reportedly take 15 minutes by car and seven minutes by train.