Take the short cut!
In 2023, Storm Daniel blew across the Mediterranean. The devastating storm brought with it torrential rain and high winds, leading to widespread flooding, destroyed infrastructure, and thousands of deaths. Greece lost 17 people and the cost of damages counted in the billions. Due to the heavy flooding, rivers swept away or heavily damaged dozens of bridges. The Pineios River on Greece’s east-central coast was among those that swelled to unprecedented levels. As the waters rushed to the Mediterranean, they washed out the central piling of the Palaioprygos Bridge, located just south of town. The flood essentially snapped the bridge in three. The deluge broke the bridge in two places – but not completely. Its middle section slumped down so far that it’s inches from the surface of the river. And that’s the way the bridge has remained since. Although much of Daniel’s damage has been repaired, the notoriously money-strapped Greek government simply hasn’t been able to afford to fix everything.
The Palaioprygos Bridge is officially closed to traffic. Yet, people keep using the bridge. Local news outlet LarissaNet, while filming the remaining devastation of Daniel with a drone, noticed something strange. A Ford pickup truck was slowly crawling over the bridge, taking care not to disturb the precarious structure too much. The Ford’s driver wasn’t the only brave soul. Many others, most in vehicles capable of tackling rugged terrain, also used the nearly destroyed bridge. Why are the locals endangering their lives crossing the wreck? Is there really no other way to get over the Pineios River? Of course, there is. A detour sends drivers about 10 miles west, where they can cross using a sturdy, newly built bridge. Many locals, however, have found the detour to be just too inconvenient to bother with every day. So, they keep crossing the old, damaged bridge, hoping it won’t give out underneath them. The bridge acts as an essential resource for farmers trying to reach their fields on the other side of the river. “What should we do? Should we go all the way around?” one local asked. “Where should we go? Nothing can be done. We play with death every day.” Drivers continue to use the bridge despite it being technically out of service as the alternatives are limited and unattractive.
Then there are those drivers who aren’t locals and arrive at the bridge by accident. Despite it being closed, some GPS devices still lead drivers to it. As the news story went viral, the public has started demanding the government install physical barriers to prevent traffic over the bridge. That has surely ticked off the locals, who would be forced to take the detour. And how long of a detour would that be, you ask? About five miles one way, adding a whopping 20 to 30 minutes to the trip across the bridge, according to Google Maps directions. Is saving 20 minutes really worth risking your life? Maybe, if you have to cross the river several times a day on a tractor.
Bridges to mirth
What did Zelenskyy reply to Putin when he called him to complain about the exploded bridge?
“Crimea River!”
A blonde hears on the news that a bridge collapsed and killed a Brazilian.
She gasped, “That’s a lot of people!”
A big moron and a little moron were standing on a bridge, the big moron fell off
The other was a little more on.
How do you cross a troll bridge in Middle Earth?
You use J.R.R. tokens…
July 24th Birthdays
1969 – Jennifer Lopez, 1982 – Emily Rickards, 1898 – Rose Byrne, 1951 – Lynda Carter
1946 – Gallagher, 1964 – Barry Bonds, 1978 – Danny Dreyer, 1783 – Simon Bolivar