Work on the restoration of the Corinth Canal is in full swing. Dozens of workers, heavy equipment and scientists are working day and night to complete the work to open the movement as soon as possible.
In a year in which fuel prices have skyrocketed, the opening of the canal is considered to be economically decisive, as ships no longer have to make a detour around the Peloponnese, incurring huge resource costs.
Athens News has already reported that repairs have been underway in Corinth since November 2020, when the first major landslide occurred on the canal. According to studies by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation, moisture and erosion caused the destruction of the stone pillars that supported and protected the soil from falling into the canal.
In April 2021, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that a complete overhaul was needed to ensure the safe passage of ships through the canal. “This is a very important project and we must not forget that it was built in the 19th century. The time has come in the 21st century for the necessary interventions,” he said, adding that the repairs would cost nine million euros.
Reference. Large ocean-going vessels with a width approaching 20 meters cannot pass through the canal. Large-capacity vessels pass the canal in tow, as there is a danger of erosion of the walls. Up to 15,000 ships pass through the canal annually.
In February 2018, after heavy rains, a landslide occurred in the canal, as a result of which traffic was temporarily stopped.
In October 2019, the Braemar vessel, which is 22.5 meters wide from side to side and has a displacement of more than 24,000 tons, managed to pass through a canal whose maximum width is only 25 meters..
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