Harilaos Trikoupis Bridge
Strait of Corinth, Greece
Spanning the Gulf of Corinth from Rion on the Peloponnese to Antirion on the mainland, the Harilaos Trikoupis Bridge is named for the Greek Prime Minister who first proposed the project more than a century ago.
Completing what's now the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world required solving numerous engineering and construction problems, from sea depth to soft foundational soils to what geologists call "high seismicity" (translation: Don't hang anything heavy above your bed).
It comprises five spans, the longest of which is 7,390 feet, and is built upon "floating" pier bases that sit on gravel and soil beds reinforced by steel pipes -- both structural firsts. In recognition of its engineering excellence the Rion-Antirion Bridge won the 2005 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
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