Greece's Corinth Canal reopens to shipping after 18-month hiatus

CORINTH, Greece, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Greece's iconic Corinth Canal reopened to shipping earlier this month after an 18-month hiatus for repair works following a series of landslides, local officials told Xinhua on Monday.

The canal saves vessels sailing from the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea some 130 nautical miles. Constructed from 1881 to 1893, the Corinth Canal between the Peloponnese peninsula and the mainland is considered an iconic 19th-century engineering project.

The canal is about 6.3 km long, 24 meters wide at its base, and eight meters deep. It is difficult to navigate for many modern large ships, but is still popular for smaller vessels and a unique tourist attraction.

"It reopened to navigation, as the first phase of the restoration works was completed," George Zouglis, General Manager of Corinth Canal S.A, told Xinhua during a tour across the canal.

Further repair of the man-made canal will continue in the coming months. The canal will accommodate the summer maritime traffic and will close in early October again to allow for the second stage of the works. It will reopen next summer and will close for the final touches before the grand reopening.

In addition to the works of mitigating landslides and stabilizing the banks, the upgrade project also includes fencing along the canal and constructing a 3.5 km paved footpath for visitors.

During the first week of operation this July, almost 400 vessels have transited the canal and nearly 7,000 transits are expected in October, according to the managing company.

In combination with upgrade works in the wider area, Greece in 2024 will be boasting a modernized hub for maritime transport which will further support the local tourism industry, said Zouglis.