Ministry Seeks Contractor to Repair Historic Epirus Bridge

The stone arch Plaka bridge. Photo Source www.voreiatzoumerka.gr (Vagelis Giotopoulos)

Restoration works on a legendary stone bridge in the Zagori region of Northern Greece that collapsed due to torrential waters in 2015 are set to begin, after the infrastructure ministry invited expressions of interest for a contractor to undertake the project.

The 18th-century Plaka bridge is the region’s only remaining single arch bridge. The government has set aside a budget of 4,750,000 euros for its repair, restoration and reinforcement. In this direction, the ministry underlines that the contractor must have specialized know-how and experience and possess sufficient financial and economic standing in order to complete the project during two summer periods.

Athamanian Mountains, Tzoumerka, Greece. Photo: Yiannis Papadimitriou/Shutterstock

The Plaka bridge is the largest stone-built bridge in the Balkans, declared a preserved historical monument since 1972 and one of the widest in Greece, crafted by local master Kostas Bekas in 1866. The 40-meter-long bridge stood some 20 meters above of the Arachthos River, serving in the past the villagers from the Tzoumerka region.

For its restoration, research and planning were carried out jointly by the ministries of the economy, culture and infrastructure, the Epirus Region, the National Technical University of Athens, the Technical Chamber of Greece and the Tzoumerka Municipality.