There has been no shortage of fantastical schemes to help get people from A to B over the years, with Elon Musk’s Hyperloop perhaps winning first prize as the most ambitious.

Running them close however is a new proposal to build the Sognefjord tunnel underneath Norwegian fjords as part of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s $25 billion “No Ferries” national infrastructure project.

The project was launched because travel along the Norwegian coast can be a torturous affair, with the 250 mile journey from Stavanger to Sogneford taking around seven hours as it snakes along the main E39 road.  Incredibly stunning though this journey is, the government hope to create a more effective way to make the same journey.

Extreme engineering

The Norwegian terrain presents a number of challenges that prevent traditional solutions.  For instance, the floor of each fjord has a delicate geology, thus rending bridges difficult and costly, even before you examine the depth of each fjord and the damage a bridge might do to the natural beauty of the area.

This is where the idea for the world’s first submerged floating tunnel comes in.  Whereas most underwater tunnels, such as the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France, are bored within the seabed, the Norwegians plan to float their tunnel approximately 100 feet below the surface.  The tunnel will then be tethered to the seabed using anchors, and to the surface using floating pontoons.

The team plan to borrow concepts from floating bridges and offshore platforms when building the tunnel.  Suffice to say, the project is still at an early stage so many obstacles will need to be worked through, not least of which are the other options being considered by the government, but it’s a tantalizing prospect.

Check out the video below to see some of the other options being considered for route E39.