The Eysturoy Tunnel is home to the only undersea roundabout in the world (Image: Getty)
Visitors to the Faroe Islands may be surprised to see the world’s first underwater roundabout while on their travels.
The roundabout is located within the Eysturoy Tunnel, which opened four years ago in December 2020 and has helped to cut down travel times between the various islands within the archipelago.
Despite being located about halfway between Scotland and Iceland, the Faroe Islands are a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, although they have been self-governing since 1948.
The location of the islands can mean that the temperamental weather can make travel rather difficult, which has led to the creation of a tunnel system – 17 on land and four under the sea, the lowest point of which is 187m (613ft) below sea level.
The Eysturoy Tunnel and its roundabout are believed to have reduced travel time from the capital, Torshavn, and the village of Runavik from an hour and 14 minutes to just 16 minutes.
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The Faroe Islands has a huge tunnel system between the islands (Image: Getty)
The Faroe Islands consist of 17 inhabited islands and a number of other islets and reefs.
Remarking on the tunnel system, Súsanna Sørensen, marketing manager of Visit Faroe Islands, said: “Though we are 18 islands, we often joke that we defy the fact that we are islands (thanks to the tunnels).”
Although the location of the Northern Atlantic may make the idea of driving in an undersea tunnel rather nerve-wracking, the tunnels were created with just this in mind.
Teitur Samuelsen, CEO of Eystur-og Sandoyartunlar, the company operating the tunnels, explained: “The tunnels are designed by the world‘s leading engineers and geologists, so safety with regards to the Atlantic above is not an issue.”
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The Faroe Islands has both land and undersea tunnels (Image: Getty)
reports that the Eysturoy Tunnel is “magical” to drive through, with the roundabout looking so striking, that it’s colours have been compared to the Northern lights, or jellyfish. And it’s not just this tunnel that looks stunning – there’s artwork and displays in some of the other tunnels too.
For example, the Sandoy Tunnel, which connects the islands of Streymoy and Sandoy, is decorated with glow-in-the-dark totems, which reference some of the characters in Faroese folklore.
Discussing the decision to spend money on decorating these tunnels, Teitur Samuelsen said: “We have a lot of good art in the Faroes, and we’d like to support our artists. In addition, it breaks up the monotony in a long, dark tunnel, so it’s good for driving safety.”