- 15 hours ago
Building a bridge between Europe and Africa sounds incredible, but it’s far more complicated than it appears. The Strait of Gibraltar, where the continents are closest, is roughly 8 miles wide, yet the water there is extremely deep—reaching up to 3,000 feet in some areas. Add to that the strong winds and powerful currents, and construction becomes even more difficult. Engineers have suggested concepts like floating tunnels or ultra-long suspension bridges, but these would cost a fortune and still face huge technical obstacles. Political and economic challenges also matter, since such a bridge would require cooperation between several countries. For now, ferries handle the crossing, and most people find them convenient enough. Animation is created by Bright Side.
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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.
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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 current and seismic activity.
03:22How can you start large-scale construction if, in a couple of days, an 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.
03:54Despite 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.
04:06About 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 because of the uneven seabed.
04:50The seabed has a unique geological landscape, irregularities, and different densities of the Earth's rock.
04:58There 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.
05:36And don't forget about seismic activity.
05:38Let's say you've installed perfectly strong piles, but the next day, an earthquake occurs and destroys the entire structure.
05:46And a strong current is carrying fortifications all over the Mediterranean Sea.
05:52The next problem is probably the most important one because it concerns marine life.
05:58The Strait of Gibraltar has a high salt content.
06:00This 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.
06:13These 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.
06:25The 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?
06:49Carbon 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.
07:08But even if the bridge was built, cars and trains would continue to pollute the air and water.
07:14This 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.
07:57People also tried to develop a 23-mile-long tunnel.
08:00But this project also faced financial and technical difficulties.
08:04People 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.
08:15Oh, 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.
08:30Then the African and Indian plates collided with the Eurasian one, and the Tidus Sea completely disappeared.
08:38In its place, a land bridge was formed that separated the Mediterranean Sea from the ocean.
08:44Without 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, and the Mediterranean Sea eventually got its current water levels.
09:04For eons, the Red Sea has separated the continents of Asia and Africa.
09:10They're close enough to wave at each other, but far enough that moving between them requires planning.
09:16Ferries do the job, but it's time for something better.
09:19That's why engineers have envisioned an ambitious mega-project of tunnels and bridges that will not only link the two continents,
09:26but also reshape the region forever.
09:28Millions of years ago, the Arabian landmass slowly drifted away from Africa, opening a watery scar that we now call the Red Sea.
09:40This place is famous for its crystal-clear water that looks filtered even when it isn't,
09:45as well as for coral reefs that seem to be painted by an overachieving artist.
09:49Let's zoom in on one specific location, the Strait of Tehran.
09:55Every ship headed toward the upper ports squeezed through this one busy hallway.
10:00On the one side is Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, rugged, golden, and sprinkled with resort towns.
10:07On the other side, it's Saudi Arabia, the Tabuk coast, where quiet desert hills stroll right down to neon blue water.
10:15The distance between them looks tiny on a map, almost like someone forgot to connect the lines.
10:21That's because the Strait is only about 8 miles from peninsula to peninsula,
10:26close enough that on a clear day, you can sometimes see the opposite shoreline.
10:31It's a busy gateway, and it's the exact gap designers want to turn into a direct road and rail link.
10:38So what are they actually trying to build?
10:40The idea is to create one continuous route between the Sinai Peninsula and the Tabuk coast.
10:46Engineers are still deciding whether it should be a bridge, a tunnel, or a hybrid, the combination of two.
10:52The problem is under the water.
10:54Near the shore, the bottom is shallow enough to support strong columns,
10:58but as you move farther out, the seabed drops quickly until it reaches about 900 feet.
11:04It's almost like walking off an underwater cliff.
11:07That sudden plunge is too deep for standard bridge supports.
11:12The design has to adjust to the landscape instead of forcing one shape across the whole gap.
11:17If they go with a bridge, the builders would place huge steel tubes called caissons on the seafloor.
11:23Think of them as giant metal buckets.
11:26Once they're in position, the water gets pumped out so crews can build a dry foundation inside.
11:31Concrete turns that space into a pillar rising from the seabed.
11:34The floating cranes drop long road sections between those pillars like puzzle pieces.
11:40It works well in shallow areas, but anchoring becomes difficult in deep waters due to high pressure, soft ground, and strong waves.
11:50Tunnels avoid this by going under the problem, literally.
11:53Crews can send tunnel boring machines called worms,
11:56or they can build submarine-sized tunnel segments on land and sink them into place.
12:01It's the same trick used in the Hong Kong Zohai-Macao Megalink,
12:05which proves it works even in busy deep water.
12:09Now, people might look at the map and think,
12:118 miles? That doesn't sound so bad.
12:14In reality, it's nothing like tossing a giant tree trunk over a river and calling it a bridge.
12:19Cars, buses, and trains need those long, slow, friendly ramps that don't feel like a roller coaster.
12:26By the time you build those ramps on both sides, the whole thing could stretch to nearly 20 miles.
12:32That puts it in the same club as giants like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in the U.S.
12:36or the King Fahd Causeway between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
12:41But it's not just the scale or unpredictable seabed that makes this intercontinental project challenging.
12:47There's also the climate.
12:49Temperatures regularly pass 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
12:52Concrete dries faster than planned, so crews have to cool it or work in shorter windows.
12:59Steel stretches in the heat just enough to make precise work annoying.
13:03And workers themselves cannot stand in direct sunlight for long without feeling like a baked potato.
13:09On top of that, the salty sea air chews through metal quicker than most people expect,
13:13so the whole structure needs tough protective layers and regular check-up.
13:18If this project gets the green light, you're looking at a timeline of several years.
13:23A good comparison is the Orison link between Denmark and Sweden.
13:27It's only about 10 miles long and still took around 4 years to build,
13:32in an environment that is much easier to handle than the Red Sea.
13:35Then, there's the price tag.
13:39Early numbers land around $4 billion,
13:41but that feels more like a starting guess than a final bill.
13:45If they run into problems, that figure will almost certainly climb.
13:50There's also one other problem that must be brought up.
13:53Swimming right under the surface.
13:55The Strait of Tyran is home to dolphins, rays, sea turtles, and even sharks,
14:01including harmless reef sharks that glide around like they're protecting the beautiful, colorful corals below.
14:07These reefs aren't just decoration.
14:09They're some of the healthiest in the entire Red Sea.
14:13Scientists say that in parts of the northern Red Sea,
14:16some corals tolerate higher temperatures than many others around the world,
14:20which makes these reefs especially valuable from a climate-resilience perspective.
14:26That means even a single mistake during construction could cloud the water with sediment,
14:31and that alone can smother corals like dust settling on wet paint.
14:35The same goes for noise, drilling, and ship movement.
14:39Reefs can't exactly move away if annoyed like fish can.
14:43Once they're damaged, it can take decades for them to grow back.
14:46That is, if they grow back.
14:48To avoid that, planners have to build in ways that keep the water as clear and calm as possible.
14:55Construction zones may need silt curtains to stop sediment from drifting away.
15:00Heavy equipment might have to avoid areas with dense coral clusters.
15:04Some sections could lean more toward tunnels instead of pillars to leave the seabed undisturbed.
15:10Every decision has to match the underwater map, not just the one on land.
15:14On top of that, the whole project would need constant supervision from scientists and inspectors.
15:21They would have to check how cloudy the water becomes and how marine animals behave during the work.
15:27If something looks off, the only responsible move is to slow down or change the method,
15:33instead of just rushing to finish faster and leaving the reef to pay the price.
15:36But if everything finally clicks into place, the payoff is massive.
15:43Right now, if you decide to skip the ferry and stay on land, the map punishes you.
15:48You have to loop all the way around the top of the Red Sea, through other countries, on a drive more than a thousand miles.
15:55All of that just across a stretch of water that is only a few miles wide at its narrowest point.
16:00It's like walking around the entire block just to knock on your neighbor's door.
16:05A permanent link would change this.
16:07Travel time drops, ports on both sides become easier to reach,
16:10and a drive from Africa to Asia suddenly feels as normal as crossing a long highway bridge.
16:17Not to mention the coolest part, which would be the view if they decided on the hybrid version.
16:22You begin your journey on the Sinai side, with the desert behind you and the Red Sea ahead.
16:28Instead of waiting in a ferry line, you roll onto a rising ramp while the water glimmers below.
16:34The road dips into a tunnel under a busy shipping lane,
16:38and before long, you're back in the sunlight on the other side, now on a different continent.
16:43The train version could feel even smoother.
16:46You find your seat, the doors close, and the train glides toward the crossing without any stop-and-go traffic.
16:53It slips into its own tunnel section, runs quietly under the sea,
16:57and pops back up on the Asian side before you have even finished scrolling your feed.
17:02For tourists, that could mean more resorts, more quick weekend trips,
17:06and a brand-new continental hop that becomes a must-try experience.
17:11For delivery trucks, every hour saved is money earned.
17:14Even local towns would feel the change.
17:17They'd get more visitors, more trade, and bigger profits.
17:20A link like this doesn't just connect land.
17:23It connects economies, ports, and everyday life.
17:26And that's a giant opportunity, as long as the underwater world stays protected.
17:32That's it for today.
17:34So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.
17:39Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the bright side.
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