Norway is about to build what it calls the world's first ship tunnel. The 1.7-kilometer Stad Ship Tunnel will be built at the bottom of the Stad Peninsula, allowing ships to avoid sailing the dangerous sea that surrounds it.
According to data from the nearest weather station, the Stadhavet sea has storms on 45 to 106 days each year. Wind, waves, and currents have caused many accidents over the years, including more than 30 deaths since the end of World War II.
Even after storms end, waves can be so large that ships have to wait days before they can safely travel around the peninsula. This is why the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) believes it's important to build the new ship tunnel.
At 37 meters high and 26.5 meters wide, it will be big enough for large ships to go through.
The NCA says that while there are other tunnels for smaller boats, this will be the world's first tunnel for large ships.
The tunnel will cost about $330 million and take three to four years to complete. It will start being built in 2022 and is expected to be finished by 2025 or 2026.
Terje Andreassen of the NCA told CNN that after planning the project for decades, he's glad that it will finally start to be built next year.
