THE 1ST OF ITS KIND

There are tunnels for cars, tunnels for trains, tunnels for pedestrians, but now Norway has a plan to build the first ever tunnel for large ships. It will be built in the west of the country for large seagoing ships. It will be 1.7km long and have a height of roughly 50m from top to bottom. This will make it large enough for even cargo ships to pass through. It will cut through the narrowest part of a peninsula.

The tunnel is being built to shorten a frequently stormy route in the region. The coastal waters in the west of Norway are dangerous due to a combination of currents, shallows and high waves, and bad weather which often delays freight traffic.

The construction of the tunnel should begin in 2018 at the earliest. It is expected to take four years to complete.