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Friday, 27 September 2024, 11:25
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The Strait of Gibraltar is one of the busiest waterways in the world and is just14 kilometres wide, which is the distance separating the two coastlines of Spain and Morocco at its closest point.
From the prominent mountain of Jebel Musa in Morocco or from the vantage point of the Mirador del Estrecho atop Bujeo Pass near Tarifa, these two continents of Europe and Africa almost touch each other with the tips of their rocky fingers. However, the reality hiding within this dream landscape is heartbreaking: hundreds of migrants leave their old lives behind every day to venture across this strip of a waterway in dugout wooden boats and poorly-equipped vessels. Few make it to Europe.
The idea of building a bridge linking Europe and Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar has been considered on several occasions, but there are multiple reasons why this project has not materialised.
The Instagram account @GeoGlobeTales has summarised the key reasons as to why there is no bridge linking Europe and Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar in a video that has gone viral.
The Strait of Gibraltar is 14 kilometres wide but the depth of the water and the nature of the seabed present significant challenges for the construction of a bridge. Furthermore, the climatic conditions are not the most favourable due to strong winds and adverse weather conditions, which would complicate the construction and maintenance of such a large structure.
The construction of a bridge of this magnitude would require a colossal investment, which could amount to billions of euros. So this raises questions about the economic viability of the project, which would also involve costly and complicated maintenance.
It would also have to be considered how it would affect relations between Spain and Morocco on political, economic and social issues, as the construction of a bridge could generate tensions or conflicts over sovereignty and control of access. The Strait of Gibraltar is a critical route for migration from Africa to Europe. A bridge could facilitate the crossing of people, which could be seen as a problem by some European governments.
Lastly, the construction of a bridge could affect the marine ecosystems in the area and have negative consequences for the local biodiversity but as @GeoGlobeTales explained, it is a project that is still on the table and perhaps we just need to find a better way to address it.
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