The Corinth Canal, one of the most important infrastructure in modern Greece, has remained closed to maritime traffic since January 2021. But in fact, he has already ceased to be available. from mid-Novemberafter a series of landslides.
Work to bring the pedestrian bridge and the steep slopes of the Isthmus of Corinth to work began in April to open up the shipping lane before the peak of the tourist season this year, but was not completed until mid-June.
Then the canal was blocked due to a landslide, which made navigation impossible. Renovation work is ongoing, but there is no exact date when it will be completed.
Since Greece opened up for tourism in the summer, thousands of visitors who sail from the Ionian to the Aegean in yachts and cruise ships must sail around the Peloponnese peninsula, which is almost 500 km longer.
Also, of course, commercial shipping in Greece suffers as freight costs rise. Economists fear that this could lead to medium- and long-term price increases. The future of the channel operator and its employees is also at stake, since the campaign has no income.
According to research carried out by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the displacement and collapse occurred through moisture and soil erosion. It is expected that preliminary studies of the damage and the development of proposals for their rehabilitation will be completed in September. Then the project for the restoration of the canal will be put up for tender, and work will begin soon.
Work to bring the pedestrian bridge and the steep slopes of the Isthmus of Corinth to work began in April to open up the shipping lane before the peak of the tourist season this year, but was not completed until mid-June.
However, the peculiar geological composition of its slopes led to the fact that from time to time there is a rockfall, the walls of the strait crumbled, as a result of which it remained closed for long periods.
In general, from the beginning of its work until 1940, due to various collapses, the canal was closed for 4 years. The most important of these occurred in 1923, when 41,000 cubic meters of land fell off. Then the channel remained closed for 2 years.
Also, the channel was closed for a long time in 1944, due to the explosion of the slopes during the retreat of the Germans. Then 60 thousand cubic meters of soil crumbled, and earthworks lasted for 5 years (1944-1949).
The Corinth Canal was opened for use on July 25, 1893. It connects the Ionian and Aegean Seas, making the passage of cargo and passenger ships between them much faster. Before the canal was built, ships from the Ionian Sea to their destination Athens or the Aegean Islands had to bypass the entire Peloponnese and vice versa.
It is known that the Strait of Corinth is the main artery for many tourist and merchant ships in Greece, with the number reaching 15,000 per year. The canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth in a straight line and has a length of 6346 meters. Its width at sea level is 24.6 m, at the bottom – 21.3 m, and its depth – from 7.50 to 8 m.
The launch of the Corinth Canal actually made the Peloponnesian Peninsula an island.
However, the peculiar geological composition of its slopes led to the fact that from time to time there is a rockfall, the walls of the strait crumbled, as a result of which it remained closed for long periods.
In general, from the beginning of its work until 1940, due to various collapses, the canal was closed for 4 years. The most important of these occurred in 1923, when 41,000 cubic meters of land fell off. Then the channel remained closed for 2 years.
Also, the channel was closed for a long time in 1944, due to the explosion of the slopes during the retreat of the Germans. Then 60 thousand cubic meters of soil crumbled, and earthworks lasted for 5 years (1944-1949).
The Corinth Canal was opened for use on July 25, 1893. It connects the Ionian and Aegean Seas, making the passage of cargo and passenger ships between them much faster. Before the canal was built, ships from the Ionian Sea to their destination Athens or the Aegean Islands had to bypass the entire Peloponnese and vice versa.
It is known that the Strait of Corinth is the main artery for many tourist and merchant ships in Greece, with the number reaching 15,000 a year. The canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth in a straight line and has a length of 6346 meters. Its width at sea level is 24.6 m, at the bottom – 21.3 m, and its depth – from 7.50 to 8 m.
The launch of the Corinth Canal actually made the Peloponnesian Peninsula an island.
More Stories
Snacks – good or bad, what foods can be harmful
Farmer Throws Six Tons of Green Olives Out on the Street
Patras: First school suspension for using smartphone. Parents are outraged