Norway today unveiled plans to build the world's first sea tunnel to pass through a mountain, avoiding dangerous waters that intimidated even the Vikings. Built to bypass the Stad peninsula, a storm-swept area in western Norway, the Stad ship tunnel will be 1.7 kilometres long and 36 meters wide, making journeys safer. <br/><br/>The North Sea is roughed up by fierce winds off the peninsula and many ships wait for storms to abate before continuing their journey. Even the Vikings, who were talented sailors, preferred to avoid the waters, instead transporting their boats by land.<br/><br/>Tunnels for boats exist in other parts of the world such as the Canal du Midi in France, but the Stad tunnel will be the first to accommodate ships up to 16,000 tonnes for freight transport and passengers, including the iconic Bergen-Kirkenes Coastal Express, which connects the Nordic nation's south and north.