I have two big fears: I’m afraid of heights and of drowning. So when driving on bridges I always have an irrational fear of the bridge falling into the water, which could cause me to fall from a scary height and drown. Even on large brand-new ones. It seems some Greek drivers have no such fears, as there is currently a bridge that is collapsing into the water beneath it but that hasn’t stopped people from driving on it.
Hurricane Daniel struck central Greece nearly three years ago, causing flooding and significant damage to infrastructure including bridges, homes and farms. An example is a bridge in Larissa that connects two municipalities divided by a river. Without a bridge, drivers have to go far out of their way to cross, which seems like too much trouble for some impatient, brave drivers. So since the bridge is still almost intact, with just a big crack in the middle of it, they somehow drive across. Maybe fuel costs are just that high.
It is unclear why the bridge has not been repaired yet, or at least it has been completely closed so that no one can drive on it, but locals have expressed their concerns with the local government about fixing it.
Bravery or stupidity? maybe both
Recent drone footage shows a pickup truck driving slowly on a bridge, which seems very ill-advised. Although the bridge isn’t very high, and the river doesn’t seem very deep, it’s probably not a good idea to have any bridge collapse under your car and send you into debris-filled water. I’m no structural engineer, but I can’t see how the bridge is still there. It is broken at four places and has bent so low that its belly can touch the water. It seems like it’s only a matter of time before someone’s car becomes the last straw.
Tourists and travelers reportedly face even more trouble. Since the bridge looks fine when you look out your windshield from either side, passing travelers don’t realize it’s there until they’re about halfway across. This takes some pants off of, ABS-inducing braking and reversing. Aren’t there even warning signs? To make the problem worse, the street view of the bridge on Google Maps shows that it is still intact. So if people are planning a route, they will assume they can drive straight.
Hopefully this bridge will be repaired soon, or at least barricaded. It seems like it’s only a matter of time before the next crossing becomes the last.
