This Bridge Could Change the World - What’s Stopping Us? - video Dailymotion

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Why are there places on Earth that seem perfect for a bridge yet none exist? You're about to uncover the secrets behind two of the world’s most puzzling engineering mysteries. Discover why no one has ever built a bridge between Europe and Africa, despite the continents being only 13 kilometers apart. Then travel to the other side of the planet to find out why New Zealand’s main islands remain divided by water, even in the age of modern technology.  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00So look at this narrow passage between the north of Morocco and the southern part of the Spanish region.

00:06It's called the Strait of Gibraltar.

00:09There are only 8 miles between the two continents, but for some reason, there's no bridge,

00:15despite people having been dreaming for centuries about connecting these two regions.

00:20There are places in the world where a bridge over water stretches for a much greater distance.

00:25For example, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway near New Orleans, Louisiana,

00:30goes for 24 miles, which is three times the length of the hypothetical bridge between Africa and Europe.

00:37That's listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest continuous bridge passing over water.

00:43It consists of two parallel bridges and connects the urban area of New Orleans

00:47with small settlements in the north of Lake Pontchartrain.

00:519,000 concrete piles hold more than 1,000 decks above the water.

00:56This large-scale structure was built in the middle of the 20th century.

01:00It only took 14 months from the start of construction to its completion.

01:05American engineers created a unique technology for attaching concrete piles to the base of the bridge.

01:11And this bridge is still functioning.

01:13So what's the problem with building a shorter bridge to connect Africa and Europe?

01:17Let's first find out the value of the 8-mile bridge that could connect two continents

01:23and the reason why everyone is talking about it.

01:26In fact, the value of such a bridge would be enormous.

01:30Diamonds, oil, minerals…

01:32Africa is full of valuable materials.

01:35And Europe is happy to buy these things.

01:37This theoretical bridge could allow people to transport things for trade quickly and comfortably.

01:44But now, the exchange of goods between Africa and Europe is only possible thanks to airplanes and cargo ships.

01:51And airplanes are extremely expensive because of hefty fuel price tags.

01:55In addition, air travel is often delayed because of bad weather.

01:59There are long customs procedures and transportation from the airport to the destination.

02:06Ships can also be a problem.

02:08The narrow area of the Mediterranean Sea, where the two continents are closest to each other,

02:12is a dangerous place because of storms and strong currents.

02:16The transportation of your diamonds is highly dependent on weather conditions.

02:22The second advantage of such a bridge would be the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

02:27People from Europe and Africa would build hotels, ports, parks, and even small towns for each other.

02:34The coastal parts of both continents would become a new economic center.

02:39And just imagine how much investment those places would attract.

02:43Europe and Africa would be much closer than ever before.

02:46You could drive from a small Spanish town to a safari park in northern Morocco,

02:52buy Moroccan tea, get some argan oil, and go home for the evening.

02:56Or you could take a high-speed train across the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

03:01People would open hundreds of restaurants, amusement parks, shopping malls, and a museum next to this bridge.

03:08But unfortunately, it's impossible to build such a bridge, at least at the moment.

03:14And here's why.

03:15The main problem is the Strait of Gibraltar itself, because of its strong currents and seismic activity.

03:23How can you start large-scale construction if, in a couple of days,

03:27an underwater earthquake can trigger giant waves and take all the ships underwater?

03:32Even if you build a bridge, rapid streams of water that constantly change direction can shake the entire structure and tear the connecting parts of the construction.

03:42The bridge over the Strait of Gibraltar must have a strong, sturdy system that will withstand seismic activity.

03:49Huge resources are required to create such a complex structure.

03:53Despite the dangerous passage between the two continents, it remains one of the busiest points in the world.

04:00It's the only place on the planet connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

04:05About 300 ships pass through this area every day.

04:10Not only merchant ships, but also fishing vessels and tourist boats.

04:14There are not so many places in the world where you can watch whales coming out of the water.

04:19Not only people, but also marine creatures often visit this passage because of the peculiarities of the sea currents.

04:26But we'll talk about that later.

04:29Another problem is the depth of the Strait.

04:32In simple words, any bridge over the water is built on long metal piles.

04:38Builders and engineers stick piles into the seabed and use them as a holding base for the whole construction.

04:44But installing such piles firmly enough is a difficult task.

04:49Because of the uneven seabed.

04:51The seabed has a unique geological landscape, irregularities, and different densities of the Earth's rock.

04:57There are also reefs, rocks, and pits.

05:01Any seabed requires extensive geological studies before piles are installed.

05:07However, the bottom of the Strait of Gibraltar is especially difficult because of its depth.

05:13Almost 3,000 feet.

05:15It's one of the deepest straits in the whole world.

05:17So, just imagine, you'll need the height of 10 Statues of Liberty to reach the surface of the water from the bottom of the stream.

05:25What kind of pile should be used there to hold the entire bridge?

05:29Most likely, one pile will have to consist of several parts connected into one large metal rod.

05:35And don't forget about seismic activity.

05:39Let's say you've installed perfectly strong piles.

05:42But the next day, an earthquake occurs and destroys the entire structure.

05:46And a strong current is carrying fortifications all over the Mediterranean Sea.

05:51The next problem is probably the most important one, because it concerns marine life.

05:58The Strait of Gibraltar has a high salt content.

06:01This natural element makes water heavier and makes it descend to the bottom of the deep Mediterranean basin.

06:07Then, this salt water pushes up cold water from the seabed into the Atlantic Ocean.

06:12These changes in water density, as well as fast currents, create sea vortices and turbulence.

06:20It's like a raging cauldron of cold water that raises a lot of nutrients to the surface.

06:26The hollows and hills of the Strait of Gibraltar are filled with different substances and sunlight.

06:32And this creates ideal conditions for the formation of phytoplankton.

06:36Whales, dolphins, and other marine creatures adore this delicacy.

06:40That's why you can see about seven species of whales and dolphins in this place.

06:45What might happen to phytoplankton after the start of global construction?

06:50Carbon dioxide, crushed rock, tons of dust and ashes, falling building materials.

06:56All of this could significantly pollute the environment.

07:00Without phytoplankton, many fish would go extinct.

07:03Without fish, thousands of fishers wouldn't be able to get food and earn money.

07:07But, even if the bridge was built, cars and trains would continue to pollute the air and water.

07:15This disruption of the delicate balance in this narrow strait can lead to larger-scale environmental disasters.

07:22Dolphins and whales may leave to look for food elsewhere, and thus, take resources from other marine inhabitants.

07:29Like falling dominoes, one problem can follow another.

07:33And all this because of one bridge.

07:35In 2007, the Spanish Ministry of Environmental Protection introduced speed limits for all ships sailing through the strait

07:43in order to not disrupt the delicate balance of nature.

07:47At the beginning of the 20th century, a French engineer proposed a project of a bridge.

07:52But it was rejected because it was too complicated and costly.

07:56People also tried to develop a 23-mile-long tunnel, but this project also faced financial and technical difficulties.

08:05People are still dreaming of a bridge over the strait of Gibraltar.

08:09Perhaps, in the future, when we develop cooler technologies, we'll be able to build this thing.

08:14Oh, by the way, there hasn't always been water between these two regions.

08:20In the distant past, the two continents were connected.

08:24The entire Mediterranean Sea is the remains of the Tidus Sea that existed before the era of dinosaurs.

08:31Then the African and Indian plates collided with the Eurasian one, and the Tidus Sea completely disappeared.

08:37In its place, a land bridge was formed that separated the Mediterranean Sea from the ocean.

08:45Without access to water, the sea dried up about 6 million years ago.

08:49But then, when the bridge came down, the water began to fill the dried-up pool.

08:55For tens of thousands of years, the narrow plate sank lower and lower,

08:59and the Mediterranean Sea eventually got its current water levels.

09:04In Asia, there's a bridge that is way longer than you'd think should even be possible.

09:10The HZMB stretches 34 miles over open water, which makes it the longest sea bridge in the world.

09:17So, if something this massive can make it across rough waters,

09:21why can't New Zealand just build a bridge between its two main islands?

09:25After all, we're talking about a distance of just 14 miles.

09:29And a bridge like that could seriously change life for both locals and tourists.

09:35People could just hop in a car and drive from Wellington to Picton.

09:38No more ferry hassles, no more drawn-out trips.

09:41Just one epic road journey with ocean views on both sides.

09:46So, what's stopping them?

09:48Well, turns out, everything.

09:50I mean, building a bridge there is technically possible,

09:53but there are a couple reasons why experts are like,

09:56hmm, maybe not.

09:57Let's start with the obvious, the distance.

10:01The North Island and the South Island are separated by Cook Strait.

10:05Like I said, it's 14 miles wide at its narrowest point.

10:09That's not much, true.

10:11Plus, we've got the HZMB bridge,

10:14proving that, yep, it is technically possible to build a bridge over the sea to cover that distance.

10:19But we can't ignore the fact that New Zealand's geography is,

10:23well, a whole different ballgame.

10:25Cook Strait isn't exactly a calm, friendly stretch of water.

10:30It's deep, really deep.

10:32Parts of it drop to about 10,000 feet.

10:35That's like stacking seven Empire State buildings on top of each other.

10:39It's also a rough, moody stretch of ocean that loves tossing around ships like rubber ducks.

10:45In fact, quite a few have been wrecked in Cook Strait.

10:49And sadly, many lives were lost.

10:52You don't have to worry about it so much, though, as the worst accidents happened a long time ago.

10:58The ships and ferries that cross it today are much safer.

11:01Even so, it'd be pretty hard to avoid getting seasick while crossing it.

11:05Things get even messier below the surface.

11:09The seafloor over there is uneven and unpredictable.

11:13What happens is that Cook Strait has opposing tides at each end,

11:17one where it meets the Tasman Sea and the other where it joins the Pacific Ocean.

11:22And they simply don't move together like you might expect.

11:25When the tide is high on one side, it's low on the other.

11:29And they're totally out of sync.

11:32So all that water rushes back and forth through the Strait to balance things out,

11:36creating some really strong and messy currents in the middle.

11:40Then there's the weather.

11:42Cook Strait isn't just windy.

11:44It's probably one of the windiest places in the Southern Hemisphere.

11:48That's because it's located right in the middle of one of New Zealand's three big wind tunnels.

11:53Basically, there are places where the wind doesn't just come and go quickly.

11:58It sticks around, blowing hard for most of the year.

12:02And all of this happens because of something called the Roaring Forties.

12:06That's the name for the latitude band between 40 and 50 degrees south of the equator,

12:11where strong, persistent, westerly winds are pretty common.

12:16Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, which has a lot of land at this latitude,

12:20the Southern Hemisphere is mostly ocean with just a few land masses,

12:25like New Zealand's South Island, Tasmania, and the southern tip of South America.

12:31So, these winds go wild because there's nothing to slow them down,

12:36and they just keep picking up speed.

12:38The gusts there can reach up to 150 miles per hour.

12:42So, imagine trying to cross a bridge in a car when the wind is actively pushing against you.

12:48That's not just unpleasant.

12:50It's super dangerous.

12:52Drivers can easily lose control of their cars with the wind pushing them sideways.

12:57And, of course, that can lead to countless serious accidents.

13:01Now, let's talk about earthquakes.

13:04New Zealand sits right on the boundary of two massive tectonic plates,

13:08the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates.

13:11It's basically in the middle of a collision zone.

13:14And about 14,000 earthquakes happen in and around the country every year.

13:20Of those, only about 200 are big enough to be felt.

13:25Still, building a massive bridge under these conditions

13:28would require some serious genius-level engineering.

13:32With all that in mind,

13:34we can safely say that the whole bridge idea is off the table.

13:37But how about an underwater tunnel?

13:41Yep, that could work.

13:45It could be a great solution, actually.

13:47No wind, no bad weather, and no earthquakes to deal with.

13:51There are a bunch of other advantages, too.

13:53First, it would dramatically reduce travel time,

13:58cutting down the three- to four-hour sailing trip between the North and South Islands.

14:02That same journey would probably only take about 40 minutes.

14:07Then, people wouldn't have to stress about all the ferry cancellations and delays because of bad weather.

14:12And most importantly, it's doable.

14:15I mean, look at the Channel Tunnel.

14:18It's an undersea tunnel connecting southern England and northern France.

14:21Japan did something similar with the Seikan Tunnel,

14:25which connects the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.

14:28They are both huge projects, serving pretty much the same purpose.

14:33So why on earth isn't New Zealand already building this tunnel?

14:37Well, for the same reason we don't all live in luxury treehouses with personal robots.

14:43Money.

14:44Estimates vary, but some experts think a project like this could cost anywhere from 10 to 20 billion dollars.

14:52To cover that kind of cost, they'd probably need to charge tolls for the next 100 years.

14:57And trust me, those tolls wouldn't be cheap.

15:00Other experts think it could actually cost more than that.

15:04Because, you see, we have to consider all the extra infrastructure.

15:08The narrowest point of Cook Strait is between the North Island and Arapoa Island.

15:12That's one of the long, mountainous regions in the Marlborough Sounds, which is pretty remote.

15:18So it's not just about the cost of the bridge or tunnel itself.

15:22It's also the access roads, safety systems, maintenance, and evacuation plans.

15:27You can't just build a huge underwater tunnel and not plan for the occasional emergencies.

15:33And what would it actually be used for?

15:36Sure, there are people who travel between the islands.

15:38About a million passengers take the ferry every year.

15:42But that's not exactly the kind of traffic that justifies the most expensive infrastructure project in the country's history.

15:49Earlier, we talked about how England and Japan have similar underwater tunnels.

15:54But there's something to consider.

15:55The United Kingdom has a population of 69 million.

15:59Japan has even more, with around 123 million people.

16:05And in New Zealand, they've only got 5 million residents to pay for this project.

16:10So could they have a tunnel under Cook Strait?

16:13Sure they could.

16:14Should they?

16:15Oh, probably not.

16:18If you don't want to fly, the only other way to travel between the islands is by ferry.

16:22It's not ideal, but hey, it works.

16:26New Zealand has a total of 5 ships that transport people and vehicles across the islands.

16:31For tourists who aren't in a rush, it's perfect.

16:35You can cross the islands while taking in some of the most stunning views and spotting amazing wildlife.

16:40You'll start your trip in Wellington, and right from there, you'll see the rugged North Island coastline as you head out into open water.

16:48You might see different seabirds like gulls and terns, and as you get closer to the South Island, you might spot some gannets.

16:55If you're lucky, you could also catch a glimpse of the seal colonies off the coast.

17:01During the last hour of the trip, the ferry will slow down, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the green hills and calm waters.

17:09You will also approach Queen Charlotte Sound, a spot known for its wildlife.

17:15So keep an eye out for orcas, playful dolphins, and even penguins.

17:18Honestly, having a ferry instead of a tunnel might not be so bad after all.

17:27That's it for today.

17:28So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.

17:33Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the bright side.

This Bridge Could Change the World - What’s Stopping Us?

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