Belgium is tunneling beer through a pipeline underneath one of its most famous cities

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The medieval city of Bruges, Belgium.

A brewery in the medieval city of Bruges is building an underground pipeline that will transport beer from the brewery to its bottling plant, which is about two miles away.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the pipeline is weeks away from completion, and will be able to transport around 1,500 gallons of beer at 12 miles per hour.

De Halve Maan (The Half Moon) brewery owner Xavier Vanneste came up with the idea as something of a joke in 2010, but he quickly realized that the pipeline would solve the traffic problem his trucks were experiencing.

Apparently, his distribution fleet was creating congestion on Bruges' narrow cobblestone roads.

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Approximate map of the pipeline's underground course

Vanneste offset part of the $4.5 million construction cost by inviting beer lovers to crowd fund the pipeline, with various levels of membership resulting in a lifetime supply of beer or personalized glasses. The campaign was open to backers from March to December of last year, and raised about $300,000, according to the Journal.

While many residents were thrilled at the prospect of pipeline tendrils allowing them to install a home tap, Vanneste insists that the pipeline will be impossible to illegally tap into, as it ranges from six to 100 feet underground, and is constructed of super-strong polyethylene.

Flickr / Frô de maracujá!

Bruges is a UNESCO World Heritage City and a popular tourist destination known for its medieval architecture. It's safe to say that it's about to get even more popular.