Amazing! Norway to Build World's First Floating Underwater Tunnels

The first floating underwater tunnel in the world is set to be built along the coastline of Norway's famous fjords. The infrastructure aims to help travelers access Norway's bustling territory from north to south easily.

Wired notes that the facility, which will consist of two 4,000-feet long concrete tubes suspended under 100 feet of water held up by pontoons, is projected to cost the government $25 billion.

Each tube will offer two wide lanes, one of which will be used for traffic while the other for emergency stops to avoid accidental traffic disruption.

At present, there are seven ferry crossings on route E39 in Norway between Kristians and Trondheim. Once the submerged tunnel is built, it will cut the trip to just 10.5 hours.

The project is currently being evaluated by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). Their initial feasibility study conducted in 2012 revealed that the floating tunnel could be the best way to bridge the fjord since its depth cannot tolerate normal bridges.

The study revealed that the tunnel is designed to withstand all functional and environmental loads with ample margins.

"Motions set up by wind, waves and currents are moderate and will not cause driving discomfort or traffic disruption," the study read.

The infrastructure is safe for ships to as it will be submerged deep enough to not interfere with other ships or make contact with the ship's keels. Moreover, the pontoons that will hold the vertical tubes will be set apart wide enough to allow ships to pass through safely, Daily Mail reports.

Aside from giving comfort to travelers, the underwater tunnel will also serve as an emergency route for people who are trying to get to a hospital or attend to emergencies.

"Having this connection means that people there do not have to wait for a helicopter to go to the hospital," Arianna Minoretti, a senior engineer with the country's public roads administration told Wired.

Norway plans to begin the construction in Sognefjord and the tunnel is set to be completed in 2035.