A Norwegian town that has been living in the dark will receive its first ever rays of winter sunlight this year as locals complete a project to light up the main square with mirrors built in the mountains.

Rjukan in southern Norway has rugged terrain and picturesque waterfalls that make it a popular destination for skiing and ice climbing, but nestled deep in a valley floor in the shadow of the majestic Gaustatoppen mountains, the industrial town is completely , according to TIME.

But from this winter, Rjukan's 3,500 residents will be able to escape the gloomy months and enjoy a dose of Vitamin D simply by strolling to the town square. Starting in late October, and reflect a beam of light into the area, covering about 2,100 square feet (200 square meters), National Geographic reports.

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The mirrors are , adjusting to the best angle to ensure that the town square is illuminated, according to the official Rjukan tourism website. Solar panels will power the equipment to automatically wash the mirrors and move them into position.

The contraption, called Solspeil, was delivered in July, and Rjukan's town square, according to the Atlantic. The entire project cost about 5 million kroner, or about $835,000.

Although the mirror project, initiated by local artist Martin Andersen, has only been implemented this year, the idea to beam sunlight into Rjukan was actually by local industrialist and the town's founder, Sam Eyde.

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However, the technology was deemed too complicated, and in 1928, Eyde's successors built a cable car system called the Krossobanen instead. The cable car, one of the first in Scandinavia, was used to whisk residents up to Gvepseborg so they can enjoy sunlight during the dark, winter months.

This is not the first time mirrors are being installed to illuminate a "shady" town. In 2006, a in northern Italy which had suffered from exactly the same problem, according to the Daily Mail. A delegation from Rjukan visited Viganella to see how their mirror had affected residents' quality of life, and was suitably impressed.

, which draw about 150,000 visitors every year. "We think it will mean more activities in town, especially in autumn and wintertime," tourist office chief Karin Roe told Chinese news agency Xinhua. "People will be out more."

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