Plaka Bridge
Plaka Bridge (Greek: Γεφύρι της Πλάκας, Gefýri tis Plákas) is a 19th-century stone one-arch bridge in Greece that collapsed during the floods of 1 February 2015, and was rebuilt in 2020.
It is located at the borders of Arta and Ioannina prefectures, above the waters of Arachthos River. Administratively, it belongs to the community of Plaka-Raftaneon.[1] With its arch of 40 metres (130 ft) width and 17.61 m (57 ft 9 in) height,[1] it was the largest one-arch bridge in Greece[2][failed verification] and the Balkans,[3][4] and the third largest one-arch stone bridge in Europe.[5][failed verification] It also had two small auxiliary arches of 6 metres (20 ft) width on its two sides.[6] It was considered "one of the most difficult, single-arch bridges to construct."[4][irrelevant citation]
The bridge was the starting point for rafting and canoeing on Arachthos River.
History
Construction
The bridge was built upon the order of
In operation
On 3 February 1878, during the anti-Ottoman revolt of that year, Greek troops under the command of Konstantinos Kottikas defeated the Turkish garrison of the bridge and made them retreat.[8]
Between 1881 and 1912 (the
During
In spite of the two small 6 m (20 ft)-wide relief arches,[1] the bridge's apex thickness of 1.56 m (5 ft 1 in) has been considered small by experts, causing a concentration of horizontal stresses in a region where a 15 cm (5.9 in) crack could be found.[12]
During heavy rains in 2007, the bridge nearly collapsed, and a restoration was considered but not taken, raising criticism by the public.[4]
Collapse (2015)
The bridge, which was one of the most impressive examples of Greek popular architecture, collapsed on 1 February 2015. A
As of July 2020[update], restoration work, supported by the National Technical University of Athens is over, and the rebuilt bridge was completed in the summer of 2020.[15][16]
References
- ^ a b c d Leftheris et al. (2006), p. 148
- ^ "Plaka Bridge". odysseus.culture.gr. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Greece to restore Ottoman-era bridge". Anadolu Agency. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "Floods bring down Ottoman bridge in Balkans". Hürriyet Daily News. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Κατσανοχώρια: Εξώστης στον Αραχθο". ethnos.gr (in Greek). Ethnos Online. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. "Plaka Bridge".
- ^ Τι μάθαμε για τον Πρωτομάστορα Κώστα Μπέκα μέσα από την αναστήλωση του Γεφυριού της Πλάκας
- ^ a b "Ο Αραχθος "κατάπιε" το γεφύρι των θρύλων". ethnos.gr (in Greek). Ethnos Online. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ a b c "Pledge to restore historic Plaka Bridge, destroyed in flash floods". Kathimerini. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ a b c Zikakou, Ioanna (2 February 2015). "Historic Bridge in Arta to Be Rebuilt After Collapse". Greekreporter.com. Greek Reporter. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ISBN 9780275965440.
- ^ Leftheris et al. (2006), p. 149 f.
- ^ a b Angwin, Richard (2 February 2015). "Flash floods hit Greece and Albania". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ "Historic bridge of Plaka, Arta collapses due to heavy rains". Proto Thema. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
- ^ Alexis Gaglias (13 October 2019). "Αναστηλώνοντας την Γέφυρα της Πλάκας" (in Greek). Huffington Post Greece. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- ^ Alexis Gaglias (11 July 2020). "H Γέφυρα της Πλάκας «στεφανώνει» ξανά τον Άραχθο: Φωτογραφική αναδρομή στην Ιστορία" (in Greek). Huffington Post Greece. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
External links
- Plaka Bridge at Structurae
- Το Γεφύρι της Πλάκας [Plaka Bridge] (PDF). ΣΚΟΥΦΑΣ - ΠΕΡΙΟΔΙΚΗ ΕΠΙΘΕΩΡΗΣΙΣ (in Greek) (160). Arta. September 1960.
- Γεφύρι της Πλάκας (Plaka Bridge)
- Τι μάθαμε για τον Πρωτομάστορα Κώστα Μπέκα μέσα από την αναστήλωση του Γεφυριού της Πλάκας
Videos
- "The bridge of Plaka" on YouTube, 2007
- "The bridge of Plaka" on YouTube, 2012