Norway to build world's first tunnel for ships

An ambitious new project from the Norwegian government will see the construction of the world’s first large scale ship tunnel, allowing huge vessels to avoid a treacherous stretch of sea in the Scandinavian country.

Norway's transport minister said on Thursday that the new tunnel would aim to provide an alternative to ships' current route, which has been prone to accidents and near-misses in the past.

"We are pleased that the ship tunnel will now become a reality," Ketil Solvik-Olsen said.

The Stad Ship Tunnel is expected to be completed by 2023, and will accommodate ships weighing as much as 16,000 tonnes. The project is expected to cost at least £250m.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration released a video displaying how the new tunnel would operate.

"The combination of wind, currents and waves around this part of the coastline make this section a particularly demanding part of the Norwegian coast," the announcement from the coastal administration said.

"The conditions also cause heavy waves to continue for a number of days once the wind has died down. This causes difficult sailing conditions even on less windy days."

Although it is not the first tunnel which has been built to allow ships to pass through, the initiative will be the first of its kind which allows the transportation of vessels of such size and weight.