The construction of a new bridge between Turkey and Greece near the Maritsa River marks a significant development in bolstering connectivity and streamlining transportation between the two neighboring nations. The existing bridge proved to be insufficient to meet the growing demand for passage.
According to Anadolu Agency (AA), the bridge to be built over the river would link the two neighboring countries between the Ipsala border gate in Turkey and the Kipi border gate in Greece.
Yunus Sezer, the governor of Edirne province, which borders Greece, along with other officials, visited the area where the bridge will be constructed and said the project will accelerate the crossings between the border gates.
According to dailysabah, the Turkish part of the bridge, nearing completion in the project works, will be constructed by the General Directorate of Highways, while the Greek part will be built by the Greek government.
The new bridge will be 811 meters long, with four lanes, and a 344-meter span over the river. It’ll help move people and goods faster since the old bridge can’t keep up with all the traffic anymore.
The existing two-lane bridge, built in 1958, facilitates passage over the Meriç River between the border gates but occasionally struggles to handle the increasing vehicle traffic between the two countries.
The announcement of the plans for the second bridge came after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Athens last year, during which the two countries renewed their will to cooperate in several fields, such as energy and tourism.
Source: dailysabah
