10 ancient Civil Engineering projects still in use

Humans have been building huge engineering projects for as long as recorded history (even beyond).

While most have fallen into disrepair and disuse over time, some, incredibly, have managed to survive.

Some even rarer examples still function (mainly) as originally intended.

Here are ten of the oldest civil engineering projects that still serve people today.

1. The Furlo Pass tunnel on the Via Flaminia can still be used

Originally built: Circa 76 AD to 77 AD

The Furlo Pass, also known as Gola del Furlo, or Passo del Furlo in Italian, is a breathtaking gorge in central Italy’s Marche region. It lies along the Via Flaminia, an ancient Roman road, and runs close to the Candigliano River, a tributary of the Metauro.

The Furlo Pass tunnel is roughly 126 feet (38.30 meters) long and 19.5 feet (5.95 meters) high.

2. The Gonabad qanat water management system is still used

Originally built: Circa 700 BC

A qanat is an ancient water management system built to move water from an aquifer or well to the surface via an underground aqueduct. Such systems (albeit with different names) exist in many parts of the Middle East and North Africa in countries like Algeria, Morocco, Oman, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia.

Built an estimated 2,700 years ago, it still supplies drinking and agricultural water to almost 40,000 individuals. This qanat boasts a central well over 1,181 feet (360 meters) deep and stretches for roughly 28 miles (45 kilometers).

3. Rome’s Cloaca Maxima (grand sewer) still sort of works

Originally built: Circa 600 BC

The Cloaca Maxima is an ancient sewer constructed in Rome to drain local marshes and remove waste from the city. Considered one of the oldest monumental structures in Italy (and the world), it was first constructed in the 6th century BC by lining an existing stream bed with stone. It was later enclosed with a stone barrel vault, in around the 3rd century BC.

4. Sri Lanka’s Mahiyangana Raja Maha Vihara stupa is still frequented today

Originally built: Circa 1st century BC (perhaps older)

According to legend, this is the first stupa built in Sri Lanka, on the site of Gautama Buddha’s first visit to the country. Some estimates of its age put it at over 2,000 years old. It is a popular place of pilgrimage for Buddhists of the region and is still very much in use today.

5. The Hammam Essalihine (“Bath Of The Righteous”) in Algeria is still functional

Originally built: 69 AD to 96 AD

Originally built during the reign of Roman Emperor Titus Flavius, the Aquae Flavianae (now Hammam Essalihine, meaning “Bath Of The Righteous”) is one of the oldest working Roman baths worldwide. Situated in the Aurès Mountains in the El Hamma District of the Khenchela Province of Algeria, locals and tourists can still use it to bathe in the hydrothermal waters today, much as the original builders did.

The two open-air baths are still supplied with mineral-rich hot water whose temperature hovers around 70°C (158°F). It is believed the waters help to alleviate rheumatic, dermatological, and respiratory conditions.

6. The Arkadiko Bridge might be the oldest still in use

Originally built: Circa 1,300 BC to 1,190 BC

The Arkadiko Bridge, also known as the Kazarma Bridge, is believed to have been built during the Mycenaean period and is located near the modern road connecting Tiryns to Epidauros in Argolis on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece. Made of stone, it is believed to be one of, if not the, oldest arch bridges that can still be crossed today.

The bridge measures 72 feet (22 meters) in length, 18.4 feet (5.60 meters) in width at the base, and 13 feet (4 meters) in height. It spans a 3 feet 3 inches (1-meter) culvert. The bridge’s roadway is approximately 8 feet and 2 inches (2.50 meters) wide.

7. The Via Appia (“Appian Way”) is probably the oldest working road in the world

Originally built: Circa 312 BC

Certain sections of the Via Appia, more commonly known as the “Appian Way”, can be traced back to its initial construction in 312 BC. This particular road was the primary link between Rome and Brindisi in southeast Italy.

A new Appian Way was built in parallel with the old one in 1784 as far as the Alban Hills region and later an archaeological park was constructed along the route, from the center of Rome to the 10th Mile.

8. The Skouriotissa copper mine might be the oldest working mine

Originally built: Circa 4,000 BC to 3,000 BC

The Skouriotissa mine in Cyprus is the last operational mine in that country and potentially one of the oldest in the world. Thought to date back to around 4,000 BC (although more likely 3,000 BC), this would mean the mine has been in operation for over 6,000 years, although this has not been continuous.

Estimates suggest that the Skouritissa mine could yield 4,000 tons of gold-bearing ore monthly, even after all this time.

9. The Cornalvo Dam is one of the oldest

Originally built: Circa 1st century AD

The Cornalvo Dam in Spain is believed to be one of the oldest operational dams in the world. According to some estimates, it was built by the Romans between the 1st and 2nd century AD. A form of early gravity dam, it is situated on the Albarregas River, a tributary of the Guadiana. The dam is located just under 9 miles (15 km) from the nearby city of Mérida.

The dam is fairly substantial in size, given its age, with a width of 633 feet (194 meters) and a height of 79 feet (24 meters). Its masonry wall consists of cells filled with stones and clay, adorned with a mortar face. Today, it is part of a reservoir that serves as a source of drinking water for Mérida.

10. Byblos Port could be the world’s oldest continuously operational port

Originally built: Circa 3,000 BC

The Byblos Port in Lebanon is widely considered by the Lebanese to be the oldest port in the world. Believed to have originally been built in 3000 BC, it has served as a vital timber shipping center in the eastern Mediterranean ever since.