an artificial canal in Greece that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea
It is 6.4 kilometres (4 miles) in length and only 24.6 metres (80.7 feet) wide at sea level, making it impassable for many modern ships
The Corinth canal concept originated with Periander of Corinth in the 7th century BC. Daunted by its enormity, he chose to implement the Diolkos, a land trackway for transporting ships, instead
Construction of a canal finally began under Roman Emperor Nero in 67 AD
Read more here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corinth_Canal
The canal was created in 1893. A project in the making for almost 3000 years. Or about as much as your typical earthworks project in Greece.
I guess it was completed in1893? But attempted started several times over multiple millennial! Also it sounds like its value and useability was grossly overestimated!
The Wikipedia link also describes how the retreating German forces destroyed it so that it was not useable
The technology to build it only barely preceded the technology to make it obsolete, LOL.
I find it incredible that there’s differing tidal forces on either side of the canal, it makes sense since there are no locks, but that isn’t something a lot of canals have to deal with.
Also water running past limestone is a problem under normal circumstances, water running past limestone at that sharp of an angle, you wouldn’t catch me going through there (though now it’s been reinforced).
The talk of the overland system that they used before the canal is kinda funny, ‘it would take a hundred people to pull the vessel’, I know exactly where they got those people (hint it was the sailors).
Construction finally recommenced in 1881 but was hampered by geological and financial problems that bankrupted the original builders. It was completed in 1893, but, due to the canal’s narrowness, navigational problems, and periodic closures to repair landslides from its steep walls, it failed to attract the level of traffic expected by its operators.
So it only became a thing somewhat recently.
It connects the Aegean Sea with the Ionian sea and it bypasses the Peloponnese peninsula, which is a relatively significant landmass. I guess the cost and the time/fuel savings might not be significant enough to modernize it. I wouldnt be surprised if they make it wider in the future.
