Just under 7,000 kilometers long, the Amazon is the longest and most powerful river in the world. Located in South America, it crosses three countries, namely Peru, Colombia and Brazil. Despite all this, it is devoid of bridges. Rivers that are almost as long are nevertheless crossed by several bridges. What is the reason for the absence of these infrastructures on the river?
The longest river in the world
The Amazon River is found in South America. Length of 6,992 km, it is the longest river in the world, closely followed by the Nile (6,852 km). The Amazon River crosses three countries: Peru, Colombia and Brazil. And yet, the Amazon River has no bridges.
Walter Kaufman, who holds the chair of structural engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, explains that no bridge crosses the Amazon simply because there is no sufficiently pressing need for it. Although the river is several thousand kilometers long, it passes through sparsely populated areas.
Consequently, there are very few roads to connect possible bridges crossing the river. For now, the boat therefore remains the best option for the peoples who live nearby if they wish to transport goods or people from one bank to the other.
Technical and logistical difficulties
It is not impossible to build a bridge over the Amazon. However, such a construction would represent a real technical and logistical challenge. First of all, the river is lined with marshes and loose soil. Thus, very long access viaducts and very deep foundations would have to be built.
Kaufmann notes that the river is also heavily affected by seasonal variations, which makes construction even more difficult. During the dry season, its width is between 3.2 kilometers and 9.7 kilometers while it can reach up to 48 kilometers wide during the rainy seasons. In addition, the water level can rise by ten meters during the rainy season.
Finally, the construction of a bridge over the Amazon would require a significant financial investment. ” I think a bridge would only be built if the need outweighed the difficulty and the cost. Personally, I doubt that will happen soon unless there are unforeseen economic developments in the region. Kaufmann concluded.
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