Rio–Antirrio Bridge (Patras)

And the closer we came to the “exit” of the Gulf of Corinth on the west side, the more we saw the bridge near the city of Patras appear. It is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, about 2,880 metres long, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece. There were quite a few challenges in building the bridge, as the foundation had to be placed in deep water with a loose seabed, and there is seismic activity and tectonic movement in this area because the Gulf of Corinth is slowly expanding. The bridge was opened shortly before the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. The vertical clearance under the bridge deck is approximately 52 metres in the widest central section. In the side sections (less central), the height is considerably lower, around 32 metres, and at the very edges about 15 metres.