Remembering Cee of Cee's Fun Foto Challenge ...

 

Dan Antion, along with Marsha Ingrao, are posting in her memory … I didn't know her – but I'm happy to support Dan and many blogging friends.

Appropriate links at Dan's site … here 'Remembering Cee'. 

Victoria Falls Bridge under construction in 1905 – as part of the Cape to Cairo railway – an unfinished project in the late 1800s, early 1900s …

Construction across the Zambezi in 1905

... so many won't get to finish their project of life … remember we have whatever time we have left – let us not waste our days … live and enjoy …

With thoughts to Cee's family and friends on this her birthday day … as too Dan and Marsha, who have their birthdays today ... with wishes ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Jumping Jelly Beans ... tunnels and bridges ...

 

A bridge or tunnel too far perhaps … but as is my wont – I need(ed) a filler post … so coming from a bridge (civil) engineering family …

Their logo

When I saw that the Marmaray Tunnel – beneath the Bosporus Strait, Istanbul … linking Europe with Asia … had been built … my grandfather's firm of structural engineers had been contracted for the Bridge across the Bosphorus … opened in 1973. I was taken aback …

Bakirkoy - where the trains meet

As I'm no engineer my uncle and I would have brief discussions about engineering projects – particularly when we met out in South Africa … but he died in 1997.

The tunnel had passed me by … opened in 2013 just after my mother died, so perhaps understandable I hadn't 'twigged' … as the deepest immersed tube tunnel in the world.

Bosphorus Strait ... dotted
red lines indicate tunnel project

The construction originally mooted in 1860 … obviously not much happened – 130 years later! … preparatory work was able to commence.

As is usual archaeological discoveries held the work up somewhat … still unearthing our history enlightens us … in this instance from the Byzantine-era and other 8,000 year old archaeological finds …

East Mediterranean/West Asia
showing the various plates, including
in the north the North Anatolian Plate

The other part I enjoy learning about is the geology of the area … somewhat to my surprise – the tunnel is only 18 kilometres (11 miles) away from the active North Anatolian Fault:

Tectonic Plates

Since AD 342, it has seen large earthquakes that claimed many thousands of lives. It is expected that there could be a major earthquake in that area fairly soon …

Simpler map for info

Most of humanity lives through these eruptions, while others lose their lives … perhaps to be discovered at a later date, and then provide new information of eras past …

Some basic facts about the Strait …

It connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and eventually into the Mediterranean Sea – it is an international waterway …

Length about 19 miles

Width between 0.45 miles – 2.05 miles

Maximum depth of 110 metres (360 feet)

Heavy traffic … 48,000 ships annually … reportedly three and four times denser than the traffic that used to go through (but due to war/drought) in the Suez Canal and Panama Canal; this traffic has also reduced due to restrictions placed on night-time transit of large oil tankers.

The Bosphorus Bridge

My filler got longer than necessary … but those rabbit holes became tunnels or bridges … letting us travel around and learn …

But where Jumping Jelly Beans came from ... I've no idea?! 

Links if you wish to look further …

Marmaray Tunnel ... 

Anatolian sub-plate ... 

Marmaray - the portmanteau word for this commuter rail project ... 

Bosphorus facts from Marine Insight ... 

BUT I almost forgot why this post got written – I found this fascinating interactive image – just click it … it's brilliant – just check it out please …

Bridges schematically shown from Trajan's Roman Bridge, to the Ponte Vecchio, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge and many more … see here:

1915 Canakkale Bridge ...  see comparison of notable bridges at end of this link ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Kazungula Bridge …

 

Four countries (Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe) meet in the middle of southern Africa … I had not realised this bridge was being built – but was amazed to see it up and running this year …

 

Victoria  Falls and the bridge
across the Zambezi

I’ve been fortunate enough to live in South Africa, and been able to visit Zimbabwe – back in the late 1970s when it was still Rhodesia.

 

 

Then to visit Namibia and Botswana at separate times, and once drive up from Johannesburg through Botswana via the Okavango Swamps, to this junction … where we either ferried over the Zambezi, or took a short flight … depending on the next destination … usually Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe (ex Rhodesia). 

 

Victoria Falls Bridge,
crossing the Zambezi

I have walked to Zambia’s border half-way across the railway line, during the guerrilla war years, on Victoria Falls Bridge, which crosses the Zambezi, and was the Cape to Cairo route in Cecil Rhodes’ days … but have never visited that country …

 

 

As a quiet aside my grandfather designed Victoria Falls Bridge, opened in 1908 … and at the hotel there is a plaque acknowledging this – hence one reason why I went to the Falls in the late 1970s. 

 

Zambezi River at four countries'
crossing

 To get from Cape Town to the rest of Africa … the Zambezi River needs to be crossed …

 

 

I am seriously thinking about writing some of my thoughts on my time in the 1980s in southern Africa – as a change to posts on Museums, Art Galleries and all the other subjects I gently touch upon (like this one!).

 

 

The route of the revised bridge

The Kazungula Bridge has definitely spurred the direction of my thoughts … I’ll leave you with the images I’ve found, and some links …

 

It was going to link the four countries … but Zimbabwe had a change of heart (actually a boundary dispute) and so the bridge originally 600 metres long, had then had to undergo design alterations stretching it to 923 metres, avoiding Zimbabwe … they’ll regret that in the coming years – losing those connections and revenue from the trade that would have accrued.  Zimbabwe is desperately in need of a better economy.

 

 

I’ve been watching or half-watching way too much tennis … French Open, Eastbourne and now Wimbledon … and so haven’t been half as dedicated as I might have been.  (There is a football match on in an hour or so … !!)

c/o The UN Organisation Development Project

I’m not really back either … as the Olympics is a-coming … and I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned I worked for the British Olympic Association back in 1972 – a privilege and was taken to Munich.  I have some information from that time – and if I can find it … I think I’ll write about that – then I can donate things to charity.

 

Well this was meant to be short … but so be it – I’ll be around and doing what I can … Look after yourselves as these months slip by – and I will see you at your blogs …

 More details can be found here at the Development of Bankable Transport Routes article

Diane on her Photo Diary published a post on 1st May 2017 ... after she'd visited this junction ... see the link

I found out about the Kazungula Bridge via this article ... which I completely and unintentionally ignored - here it is:  Big Think - World's Weirdest Bridge

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories