Norway has begun building a four-lane undersea passage in Norway that is set to become the world’s longest and deepest road tunnel.

At a predicted cost of £36 billion, the record-breaking “Rogfast” project will finally connect the districts of Randaberg and Bokn, which are separated by a 16-mile-wide body of water.

By removing the need for ferries, the tunnel will cut 11 hours off a 21-hour journey on Norway’s E39 coastal highway, which runs from Trondheim in the far north to Kristiansand in the south.

It will also help millions of people commute to the cities of Stavanger and Bergen, which are situated on the 680-mile-long road that is interrupted seven times by the need for ferries to cross fjords.