World's First 'Full Scale' Ship Tunnel Gets Green Light To Begin Construction

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - It's full steam ahead for plans to build the world's first "full-scale" ship tunnel, which promises to be an engineering marvel when completed.

Norway's Ministry of Transport and Communications has authorized the construction of the Stad Ship Tunnel, a mile-long, 118-foot wide tunnel through the mountainous Stadhavet peninsula in northwestern Norway.

The tunnel expected to give ships a safer passage through the often treacherous Stadhavet Sea. This part of Norway is known for rough tides and bad weather, sometimes forcing ships to wait for days in the nearest harbor for conditions to improve.

"The coastline outside that peninsula is the most stormy area in Norway, with the hurricanes," temporary project manager Terje Andreassen from the Norwegian Coastal Administration tells CNN Travel. "You get a lot of strange currents here."

The plan is to burrow through the mountain with conventional blasting using underground drilling rigs and pallet rigs. Building the tunnel will likely require the removal of roughly three million cubic meters of rock.

Construction is expected to start next year. It's expected to cost at least $330 million.

"It's a project that has been planned for decades. So it's very pleasant to finally be able to start the construction work in one year," Andreassen says.

It will take crews three to four years to complete. Officials hope once it's done, it will help promote the area's industrial and commercial activities.

There are similar tunnels out there but they are limited to small boats and barges. This will be the first that can handle large ships.