@@MonasteryOfSilence i think there are special prizes for locals, so it's like paying for Attikh odos to go to your job. But not 100% sure on that, someone told me that's how it works over there because i had the exact same though.
@@keksimusultimus4257 Yes that are. But if you have to pay 2 passes per day the costs are still insane. And we are not even counting the fuel costs and car maintenance. You need to be making a LOT of money to use that bridge daily.
Let me tell you how much of a pain this crossing was before the bridge. For what is now a 3 minute drive you needed at least half an hour to 45 minutes to cross with a ferry (considering embarking - disembarking, the 15 minute trip plus the time you waited for enough cars to get to the ferry, so that it's not too empty). Also the waiting time and traffic was massive when many cars were to pass eg in holiday season (I have waited in a three hour traffic jam in Rio). This was part of the main route from western Greece to Athens so imagine you starting to return to Athens and reach Antirrio to find that it's too windy for the ferry to travel...
I crossed this bridge about 10 years ago. I didn't know there was anything special about it, but I did think it was a really cool design! I also remember being shocked at how expensive it was to cross. I guess I understand why it was so expensive now.
Its not that the cost of crossing it is paying back the cost of building and maintaining it. It already is turning a profit. The problem is that, as everything in greece, it has been privatized and the company does what private companies do and robs us all. Its so bad that half the people take the ferries : (
@@iasonaskolyvas9983 Leftist propaganda! Bad, greedy companies robbing people. Greece has one of the largest public sectors in Europe. No wonder why it has one of the largests debts as well. Greece actually needs more privatizing. Tolls are expensive because this bridge is really *high maintenance* . Not to mention the huge cost of building it in the first place.
@@Stathube Have you looked what you just said up? And even still, do you know of any other European country that has privatised roads, railways, airports, normal ports, telecommunications and electricity all together? Do you think it is normal for these companies to buy our infrastructure at low prices and then receive all the profits? Especially when the government is supposed to take up all the risk for their private investment? All these measures decrease the profitability of our government and thus make it more difficult to pay back the debt. Greece used to have a large public sector, but after more than 10 years of austerity this isnt true anymore. I say this is enough already. Our gdp has continually shrank due to these crazy measures. If they want their money back they have to provide some freedom to implement different policies. The current situation is unsustainable
@@iasonaskolyvas9983 You are either completely ignorant or lying on purpose! What do you think Europe is? Soviet Russia? Privatization is the norm! Reducing the *ineffective* public sector in order to improve competitiveness and to decrease public spending is the key. Greek GDP has shrunk not because of privitization but because Greece accumulated a huge dept all these decades primarily thanks to her extremely *large, incompetent and corrupted public sector* ! Besides who do you think had the expertise in building such a bridge? Some state-owned enterprise? Only an international consortium of *private* construction companies could perform such a feat of engineering! Do you really believe that a bunch of civil servants can undertake the difficult task of maintaining the safety and the functionality of such a project? Enough already with this laughable leftish propaganda from the greek 80's!
@@Stathube sooo what you are saying is that when you hire a contractor to build your house, you pay him the money on the contract, and then he gets to own your house? because thats essentially what happened
You should come visit it at some point… you can walk from one side to the other, over a… see-through railing. Stand in the middle looking down, guaranteed air-sickness!
@@MelissaThompson432 Oh, well… in that case, do NOT try to walk it. It's seriously fear-inducing, even if you're not afraid of heights. There are some excellent beaches nearby, though, where you can swim or sunbathe (or have a drink in a beach bar) literally in the shadow of the bridge!
Fun fact: Greek Prime Minister Charilaos Trikoupis didn't manage to construct the Rio-Antirrio bridge, but it was the one who completed the Corinth Canal in 1893, giving huge advantages for the Greek merchant navy. Maybe that's why the Rio-Antirrio bridge was named after his name !!
There was a major earthquake during construction that moved the pylons out of alignment and there was a whole operation moving those beasts back into place. This bridge deserves it's own full hour documentary, easy.
Well in that sense almost everyone is a hero. Software engineers, teachers, police officers etc. The technology is evolving and all of us with it! Humankind was always doing it and will do it.
@@519achilles of course they are. (Imagine that people who just manage to get off their bed are called "heros" by some - or as bowie sang: "we can be heros ..." 😅
Well, actually, civil-engineers are the best. You might be right, they don't receive as much credit as they should, but it doesn't negate their usefulness the bit least.
I never thought I would see my hometown on a video like this. That bridge solved a lot of problems for the city and it truly is an engineering achievement. I remember when it first opened for the public, on the first day, only pedestrians were allowed on it, and we all went and walked it to antirio and back.
Thats a very beautifull bridge to cross. Especially when the light conditions are right the wires reflet sunlight in such a way that make it very appealing to watch.
This bridge started in late 90's and gave to the public on May 2004, just 3 months before the Greek Olympic Games 2004 . Nearly 20 years later is still breath taking
You can also walk across the bridge. If you ever get the chance, do it. It's trully magnificent and you could fully understand the magnitude of the construction.
I live in Patras, Greece (right next to Rio). I remember the whole process of this big project from start to finish and I'm happy that people from other countries get to recognize it's quality! *edit* We didn't have to drive all the way around before the bridge, we just used double ended ferry boats from Rio to Antirrio.
You missed that they have a major earthquake during construction. This moved the towers out of alignment. The road deck had to be modified enough to absorb the sideways shift.
It happened when the construction was going over. It's was a magnitude 6.4 at lefkada on 14 August 2003. There is a video from national geographic that refers to it.
sad fact the very high tolls as you said... That's the reason the ferries still work there. Many people and even more the trucks use them because they are way cheaper than the bridge, plus it's a 20 minute break if you are in the middle of a roadtrip. You also get nicer views of the bridge from the ferries ;)
I pass the bridge at least 2 times a month. No, the tolls is not very high compared with ferries. The tolls now is 13,50 euros per pass. If you have the electronic pass of bridge the price is 10,50 euros. The ferries is 7,50 the same price before bridge opens back at 2004. Have in mind that back in 2004 the oil prices was 50% cheaper than now. If the bridge was never builted i think the ferries will cost more than 13,50euros. The time was only the ferries in service the fastest to cross was 40 minutes at best. At bank holidays, Easter and Christmas 2 to 3 hours delay. So no comparison even the price is double high.
@@nikosbarberis918 the tolls are extremely high. When you consider when the bridge built and how many money are coming all these years. Now if someone prefers ferries or the bridge it’s on anyone’s perspective. Also the price of the ferries is rising because the price of the their fuel is higher and because they have capability comparing to the high toll prices.
Time is money. You cannot compare the price only on a "euro" basis you need to take into account how much it costs for you to wait. If you are having a holiday road trip than maybe it's no biggie.
@@519achilles back to August 2004 when bridge opened the unleaded gasoline cost in Greece 0.70euro cent per litre and the diesel 0.50euro cent per litre. At July 2004 one month earlier the ferries cost 7,50 euros per car plus 0.50euros cent per passenger. If you are 4 passengers the total payment was 9,50euros. The time to pass the canal was 40 minutes if you are lucky but the average time was 1 hour Monday to Thursday and weekends,bank holidays, Easter, Christmas the waiting time was 2 to 3 hours in traffic line. Can you imagine if the bridge never builted when the oil barrels cost 100usd and in Greece now is the unleaded gasoline at 1.65 euros per litre and diesel 1.40 euros per litre the price to pass the canal with ferries without any optional way? I think, maybe i am very sure the ferries company's will need more than 15euros per car. Do you now if you are frequently member at epass bridge the price down to 4 per direction? The ferries they don't have such a discounts. You must count all this because is working people to pass the canal not only one or two times a year and curse the moment to pay 13.50 euros. I pass frequently the canal from 1989 and i have stories to tell about ferries.
But, I would say that this bridge deserves a spot on the Mega Projects channel. Because, it sounds like a mega project. Thank you for all the content you put out, robot Simon. Everyone subscribed to the TopTenz channel: "We want more from you Simon!" Simon: "Want more from me, I have 1000 other channels where you'll find new content 400 times a day!" Robot Simon confirmed!
@@MIGBMWLOVER it will always be as long as people think it's the fault of world conspiracists and not of our ridiculous socialist believes and policies.
As always in Greece, the non-engineering details are quite juicy. Back in 2004, the Economist criticized the bridged as linking "nowhere much to nowhere at all". And indeed, the connecting national at both sides of the bridge were really bad. This has changed now and it has become much quicker (and safer) to travel from Athens to Ioannina. The lack of a train track on the bridge (was on the initial plans, but was finally cut) is an issue. Someone who takes a quick lookat a map, might wonder why someone from Athens would need to drive south to Peloponnese and take the coastal road all the way to Rio, cross the bridge to Antirrio before continuing one north, instead of going along the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth. Well, if you look at the geography closer, you will see that even though you can drive along the north coast (more or less), the terrain is quite mountainous and the road is so windy that it is not worth the trouble.
The economist once criticized conservation efforts for the Sunda clouded leopard because they burdened local industrial development and according to them it _"looked exactly the same as the continental species of clouded leopard"_ , despite of all the molecular and morphological evidence that certified speciation. The Economist should stick to their specialty in economics (which like all social "sciences" is a pseudoscience without a single accurate prediction in the full span of their existence as a discipline) and reserve their opinions from empirical fields like geography and biogeography.
That's why Greek authorities should be adopting H instead of Ch in names. Harilaos instead of Charilaos, Holargos instead of Cholargos (a suburb in Athens). Foreigners, especially the British identify and pronunce Ch more like Charles (not as much as Christian) whereas it's H like Henry or Harry.
@@panathatube H would be wrong though, Kh could be more appropriate but then again Kh is for harder sounds more like the Spanish J or the Arabic Kh. The correct form is Ch, just it is in German and just as it has always been for Greek words in either Latin or English. The problem is not with the Ch but with the fact that people just don't know how to pronounce it properly, and that is something that happenes with many such letters in many languages just like with the German Ch or with the Spanish J or the Slavic J which sounds like a Y. So if an American who knows about the Spanish prounciation of J sees one in a Slavic word chances are he will misspronounce it just as the slavic speakers misspronounce the Spanish ones..
@@unownunknown so you’re saying driving in downtown Athens is a good drive? Cool story bro. But this video is talking about the bridge in Rio. So really you’re just saying a useless comment. But hey, I’m just saying...
I grew up in the area (Patras). I can see the bridge from my parents house. It was talked about when I was a kid and I witnessed its building but I never realised it was so complicated.
My dad is from Patra, so we made the trip there by car a lot. Let me tell you: the bridge was a godsend. The other option was a 45 minute ferry ride, and the ferries left every few hours. Or, you'd add a lot of hours to your trip by going via Corinthe's isthmus. I remember seeing the works while it was under construction. The first time we drove across it, it was both amazing, but also somehow disappointing.
Greek here! Amazing isn’t it! Nice you put all this together!!! I would add (since I recently passed it again) that it IS a MOST beautiful bridge, do add that to your positives! And when one drives along it , it is also amazing because all the pillars become one! One - remark : if you spoke more slowly and clearly it would be a hit! Thanks!!!
Ok as a bus driver I never knew what it took to build that bridge, but now it makes sense since it's too expensive too cross it. But hey, it made our lives easier so kudos to the engineers
I am a little miffed this isn't a Megaprojects after watching Hammy Hamster's Engineering Connections for this bridge. This bridge is absolutely insane.
In 1996 our then Prime Minister set up the terms: "Finish the bridge before the Olympics Opening Ceremony, otherwise, the penalties begin". The engineers managed to do it and one of our best Olympic Athletes, crossed the bridge with the torch in his hands. It was glorious. The year 2004-5 was our peak we ever managed in the last decades, we almost touched Ancient Greece's levels in terms of euphoria at least. We made our forefathers who now reside in Hades, just a little bit proud. That year we won the Euro 2004 in Football, Eurovision and of course Olympics. We were all wandering in the seventh heaven. The nation came so close together and volunteered to help in everything. Such perfect atmosphere you could feel the Greek spirit in the air. I'm not being hyperbolic in the least bit about the condition back then.
What a beautiful bridge and what incredible engineering. I wouldn’t mind paying to drive over it, over and back, but not on a regular basis. I hate toll roads.
It's the most expensice toll in Greece by far from the second. You have to pay 13,50 Euros if you have a car just for one pass. In case that you have a truck you have to pay approximately 30 Euros.
You will have to consider the ice there as well as the extreme contraction and expansion because of the significant opposite temerature differences between summer and winter. This bridge is located in Southern Greece so ice is not very regular but when it does occure, the bridge closes because there's big icicles falling from the cables. Of course in Alaska this will be much more regular than in Southern Greece, so you will probably need an even more sophisticated design than this one.
I pass through this beauty every day going to work!On my motorbike of course...I was there"helping" the process of the construction.I m a vts operator at Rio-Antirrio bridge (call sign Rio Traffic).
One of the most interesting side projects, amazing engineering. Fourteen Euros (a bit more than $16 US for us Yanks) seems much cheaper than a nearly 300 mile drive.
I haven't seen the prequels either, but I've seen enough parodies, reviews and critiques of them to "get" pretty much any reference you could throw at me.
i crossed the bridge the first day it opened.there were fireworks and the traffic was enormous-half of Greece wanted to pass through that specific day!it took me 2 hours to cross the bridge and arrive at my summer place near Nafpactos..
The profit from the tolls are given back to cover the cost of the construction, for the first 30 years of its use. The potential profits were very miscalculated and the cost was covered after some years, and now they are making profit. We will see what happens when the 30 years pass (we are about midway now).
When it was built, i saw a documentary about it, mentioning that it can withstand such earthquake magnitude that everything else will be possibly destroyed except the bridge. Cool and scary at the same time
Yup. It’s a toll bridge, but, it’s worth it. Far more beautiful in real life than the pictures suggest. Of course last time I was there in a severe mid winter freeze they had to close it as 2 meter icicles were falling from the tops of the towers onto the road surface. Ended up spending an extra night in a hotel outside Patras cause half the roads were closed too.
Yeap, ice is a problem in Southern Greece because they aren't used to it, one snowflake and everything stops haha. Northern Greece makes fun of this while they are wearing light jackets in -10 C lol
I really enjoy learning how engineering marvels are constructed. What about the Sydney Opera House, or how the city of Vince was constructed around water. That would be cool!
There was one bit of trivia about the bridge. A few months after it had opened a bolt of lightning hit one of the main suspension wires causing a massive burn and weakening the cable. For safety reasons the bridge was shut down to facilitate the safe replacement of this cable. Maybe someone upstairs did not want this structure there or Zues, in a drunken stupor accidently dropped one his lighning bolts.
It's a magnificent piece of engineering, great on the view and makes the journey, just a simple, 3 minutes pass. If you passing for vacation, it is a nice expirience. If you passing for work, as a truck driver for example, it's not affordable. I paid 13 euros for only one pass, returning from vacations with a simple, size, city car. I can't imagine, how would be the cost for a big size truck which have to pass, multiple times per month.
Some people here are complaining about the tolls. Let me remind you that G. Washigton bridge, a far more old and easy to construct bridge that people cross everyday to get to Manhattan, costs around 14$ (you only pay for eastbound). However, if the number of the cars increases over time, the company should reduce the toll so that less people continue to use the ferry. In any case, the bridge is awsome and it worhts the 13euros for those that cross it rarely.
You should do a spot about Britain's ill-fated entry into Airships, the R-100 and the R-101. Specifically you should examine the comparison between the private (Vickers) built successful R-100, versus the insanely unsuccessful government built (RAF) R-101..
The NY caisson of the Brooklyn bridge was built upon pilings over 145 years ago. They dug and dug but couldn’t find bedrock as they had with the other caisson, so they compacted sand and hammered pilings into the ground.
Build a bridge they said. It’ll be fun they said. “They” left out all of the dangerous problems with getting a bridge built in this location. Conveniently they also hired really good engineers
BEEN THERE AS A CHILD PASSING BY WHEN THEY BEGAN BUILDING IT .... WATCHED HER EVERY DAY WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE AT PATRA .... ...AN AMAZING ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENT INDEED
Nice three seconds of Montreal's new Champlain Bridge. Fun fact! It was determined to be cheaper in the long run to build a whole new bridge than fix the one we already had. They built it, and still haven't figured out fully how to remove the old one.
2:41 you can know for certain that if this was a Business Blaze video, that sentence would've been followed by at least a minute long rant by Simon about how he doesn't like Star Wars, and Star Trek is much better. But this is Sideprojects, so Simon must continue without his breakaway from the script.
