Built between 1,300 and 1,190 BC, this is also the oldest bridge in the world today.
One of the oldest arch bridges today is Arkadiko Bridge, also known as Kazarma Bridge. The project is located near a modern construction road connecting the city of Tiryns to Epidauros in Peloponnese, Greece.
This is currently the oldest bridge in existence in the world and the oldest preserved bridge in Europe.
Arkadiko is the oldest arch bridge in the world that still exists and is still in use (Photo: WK).
It is believed to have been built between 1,300 and 1,190 BC during the Greek Bronze Age. Surprisingly, despite having existed since ancient times, Arkadiko Bridge still exists almost intact and is still used by local people.
The bridge is made from limestone rocks that fit together surprisingly well without using mortar (Photo: WK).
Construction materials are made entirely from limestone boulders along with smaller stones and small pieces of tile that are tightly fitted together.
Even more surprising, the ancient Greeks built this bridge without using mortar, but they were still connected together into a solid block. Through many ups and downs of history and time, Arkadiko Bridge still has its original shape.
The ancient bridge is 22 m long, 5.6 m wide and 4 m high. Below the bridge is designed a small culvert about 1 m wide. The bridge’s head was designed to be about 2.5 m wider than other pedestrian bridge structures at that time. This width allows a modern car to pass comfortably even though the path is currently covered with vegetation.
The bridge is wide enough for a modern car to pass comfortably (Photo: Greece Highdefinition).
With this construction, archaeologists believe that it was originally designed only for horse-drawn carriages to help traders travel comfortably without fear of jostling, jostling or queuing.
Arkadiko Bridge is one of four arch bridges built in the Bronze Age to connect two Greek cities. They have almost the same design and age. There is also the Petrogephyri Bridge spanning a stream just about 1 km west of the Arkadiko Bridge.
