Bridges have been a crucial aspect of human civilization for thousands of years. From the initial primitive structures that resembled logs thrown over water, societies have come a long way in constructing truly impressive structures, such as the Dang Yang Kunshan viaduct, which holds the record for the world’s longest bridge in the Guinness Book of World Records. However, there are still some areas where bridges seem necessary yet remain absent, such as the Straits of Gibraltar connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.
The Straits of Gibraltar have always been an essential route for Mediterranean communication with the outside world, with about 200 large ships passing through them every day. They became even more important after the official opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, as it split Eurasia and Africa and allowed ships to travel from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean without having to sail around Africa. Despite the heavy ferry traffic between the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco and the potential benefits for tourism and the economy, a bridge connecting Europe and Africa has yet to be built.
The Challenges of Building a Bridge Across the Straits of Gibraltar
Building a bridge to connect Europe and Africa would only require a structure of about 9 miles in length, as the smallest distance across the straits is a bit over 8.5 miles. The concept of connecting the two continents dates back to the early 20th century when various bridge and other connecting projects were being developed, some of which were quite ambitious.
One such project was the Atlantropa proposed by German architect Herman Sorgel in the late 1920s. He aimed to connect Europe and Africa and make Africa’s climate more suitable for Europeans by building a hydroelectric dam that would close the Straits of Gibraltar and a second dam across the Dardanelles to stop water from flowing into the Mediterranean. Sorgel’s plan would have generated over 50% of the US’s Nuclear energy today, providing electricity and fresh water to the surrounding regions and transforming Europe and Africa into a single interconnected world. Despite being supported by some big manufacturers, the necessary funds were never found, and the project died with Sorgel in 1952.
More recent proposals for connecting the two continents have been more realistic, with suggestions for various bridges and underground tunnels. However, the technical and financial challenges of such a project make it a daunting task, and no substantial progress has been made in this direction yet.
Conclusion
The Straits of Gibraltar continue to serve as a vital route for Mediterranean communication with the rest of the world, and the idea of connecting Europe and Africa through a bridge has been a topic of interest for over a century. From the ambitious and utopian proposals of the early 20th century to the more realistic and practical plans of recent times, the challenges of constructing a bridge across the straits remain significant. Despite this, the potential benefits for tourism and the economy, as well as the engineering and technological advancements of our times, make it a topic worth exploring in the future.
Perhaps a tunnel, like the ones constructed in the Norwegian fjords, is feasible to be constructed in the Gibraltar Straight. Such a tunnel would not be bored under the sea bed, but instead would be floating, muck like a submarine, under the surface of the water, and suspended by cables, anchored on the sea bed. I think it would be less costly, and less complicated, than constructing a traditional tunnel under the sea bed. Plus it would be more flexible, and less prone to break apart in case if seismic activities.
Well if they wait for about 2 million years, a natural land connection will be established, since the African continent is still in collision with the European continent. A similar collision is going on in Asia, where India is in collision with the Eurasian plate resulting in the Himalayas still growing taller. In Europe the Alps and Pyrenees are also growing taller for the same reason. So i guess patience is a virtue.
I think the idea of building up a bridge between our beloved African con’nent and eu is of course one of the most amazing experiences the world would have gone through. My Q is y still no one interested to initiate and sponsor it although a huge amount of money and other benefits would be there??
When you say “original primitive bridges” you mean to say in cycles from advanced to primitive many times over time have humans experienced the different stages of advancement. Not knowing the advanced stage comes first you are not qualified to teach but should be in the learning process still just as freshman’s shouldn’t turn in their graduate thesis yet. Not knowing how you came from God you popularize another theory of evolution from animals and caveman status. God is the most advanced and when he created the black man first he gave him all his advanced powers and that’s on the word of God. Has to be a scripture to be the word of God so go look it up if you doubt it. The history of lord Ram and Krishna prove God endowed the Black God man with special advanced powers that represent Gods power’s on earth in human form. Their is no coincidence that Yeshuah was called Cristo by the Greeks which is their word for Krishna. Culture started with an advanced black God king rulership millions of years ago now has degraded to the state of non advancement unrighteousness and ungodly rule under a white hegemony.
As a European, I don’t want a bridge to that because I don’t want Ebola and other diseases to spread to Europe and illegal immigration is already enough without a bridge… And I’m not a racist, I’m just telling my honest opinion.