Rio- Antirrio Bridge, Greece: The marvelous engineering project that connects Peloponnese and central Greece

One of the most emblematic bridges in Greece is the Rio-Antirrio Bridge named Charilaos Trikoupis bridge in honor of 19^th century prime minister of Greece. He had had envisioned the opportunities that Greece will have if a bridge connects the two geographical regions, i.e. Peloponnese and Central Greece. The bridge spans about 2.3km and is one of the longest cable-stay bridges worldwide. It was officially launched on August 7 when was crossed by the torchbearers for the 2004 Olympics. The last twenty years it has played a critical role in Greece’s economy by facilitating the transportation system between the Peloponnese and Central Greece.

It should be noted that the construction of the structure of Rio-Antirrio had to surpass many hazards and challenges until its completion. The most significant challenge was related to its location because of the geological conditions in the area. Specifically, the ground beneath the bridge’s foundation was unstable due to river’s deep waters, the prone to earthquakes location and the risks of tsunami. The most significant problem is the expansion of Gulf of Corinth's due to tectonic forces.

To address all these matters, engineers reinforced the seabed by driving two hundred hollow steel pipes into the ground beneath each pier. Therefore, the pier foundations rest on a meticulously leveled gravel bed, which was a very complex task given the depth. In addition, they managed to have the piers move alongside the seabed when an earthquake occurs as the gravel bed could absorb the shock. Last, they used unique featured jacks and dampers to connect bridge’s deck to the piers, with this technique they accomplished any movement to be absorb.

Overall, a study that was conducted by the Observatory of Road Networks in Western Greece and the Peloponnese proved that the Rio-Antirrio Bridge had brought substantial financial benefits, estimated at over 400 million euros, while it is predicted that the region will gain more than 1 billion euros between 2017 and 2032. The bridge not only facilitated traffic and boosts the economy of the area, but, simultaneously, impacted property values in the northern area, leading to a significant increase in land prices and attracting new investments to a previously underdeveloped region.