The very first bridge in the world was probably just a fallen tree across a river. But thousands of years ago, people stopped relying on nature and took bridge-building into their own hands. Some of those ancient structures are still in use today.
One of the oldest is the Arkadiko Bridge on the Peloponnese in Greece. Built from limestone during the Mycenaean period, around 1300 BCE, it is 22 meters long and 4 meters high or just wide enough for ancient chariots to pass. It formed part of a military road linking Tiryns and Epidauros, and remains remarkably intact
Another survivor of the ancient world is the Caravan Bridge in Izmir, Turkey. It spans the Meles River, which the legendary poet Homer mentions in his works. Believed to be around 3,000 years old, it even holds a Guinness World Record as one of the oldest man-made structures still in use today.
The Pons Fabricius was built in 62 BCE. It is also known as the Bridge of the Four Heads because of the two-faced statues adorning its parapets, and as the Bridge of the Jews due to its proximity to what was once the Jewish Ghetto. The structure consists of two arches, measures 62 meters in length, and is made of travertine. On both sides of the bridge are Latin inscriptions honoring its builder: “Lucius Fabricius, son of Gaius, superintendent of roads, took care to build this bridge and approved its construction.”
P.S. Good design never really ages.
⛺️🧱🕰
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained #PS_NPS_History
One of the oldest is the Arkadiko Bridge on the Peloponnese in Greece. Built from limestone during the Mycenaean period, around 1300 BCE, it is 22 meters long and 4 meters high or just wide enough for ancient chariots to pass. It formed part of a military road linking Tiryns and Epidauros, and remains remarkably intact
Another survivor of the ancient world is the Caravan Bridge in Izmir, Turkey. It spans the Meles River, which the legendary poet Homer mentions in his works. Believed to be around 3,000 years old, it even holds a Guinness World Record as one of the oldest man-made structures still in use today.
The Pons Fabricius was built in 62 BCE. It is also known as the Bridge of the Four Heads because of the two-faced statues adorning its parapets, and as the Bridge of the Jews due to its proximity to what was once the Jewish Ghetto. The structure consists of two arches, measures 62 meters in length, and is made of travertine. On both sides of the bridge are Latin inscriptions honoring its builder: “Lucius Fabricius, son of Gaius, superintendent of roads, took care to build this bridge and approved its construction.”
P.S. Good design never really ages.
⛺️🧱🕰
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained #PS_NPS_History
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They say there’s no such thing as bad weather. Try telling that to British railway workers. The railways of the Foggy Albion are as weather-sensitive as an arthritic knee. In winter, trains are stopped by the “wrong kind of snow,” and in autumn, by falling leaves.
Every year, to the rhythm of a Boston waltz, thousands of leaves settle on the tracks. The passing trains crush them into a slick, slippery paste that reduces wheel traction and makes braking difficult. The leaf residue also interferes with systems that track train locations, preventing dispatchers from maintaining safe intervals between trains.
When the forests turn amber, the British send out crews to clear the rails by hand. Special cleaning trains are dispatched as well. They wash the golden carpet from the tracks with powerful jets of water and then coat the rails with a gel made from sand and steel particles. Artificial intelligence helps monitor the condition of the tracks.
When even these efforts aren’t enough, some routes switch to special autumn timetables with longer intervals between trains. This gives drivers more time for careful maneuvering.
The delays hardly make passengers happy. For them, the seasonal battle with linden and poplar leaves is just another reason to joke, and the familiar excuse about “leaves on the line” sounds like little more than a feeble alibi.
P.S. Foliage fleetly foiling fast fares... try saying that ten times fast!
🍂🧹🚂
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained
Every year, to the rhythm of a Boston waltz, thousands of leaves settle on the tracks. The passing trains crush them into a slick, slippery paste that reduces wheel traction and makes braking difficult. The leaf residue also interferes with systems that track train locations, preventing dispatchers from maintaining safe intervals between trains.
When the forests turn amber, the British send out crews to clear the rails by hand. Special cleaning trains are dispatched as well. They wash the golden carpet from the tracks with powerful jets of water and then coat the rails with a gel made from sand and steel particles. Artificial intelligence helps monitor the condition of the tracks.
When even these efforts aren’t enough, some routes switch to special autumn timetables with longer intervals between trains. This gives drivers more time for careful maneuvering.
The delays hardly make passengers happy. For them, the seasonal battle with linden and poplar leaves is just another reason to joke, and the familiar excuse about “leaves on the line” sounds like little more than a feeble alibi.
P.S. Foliage fleetly foiling fast fares... try saying that ten times fast!
🍂🧹🚂
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained
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November has settled in.
The air feels fresh and calm, carrying the clean scent of rain. As days grow shorter, muted light persists with a quiet warmth, softening everything it touches. Bare trees stand clear against a pale sky, and the ground glows with the color of old leaves.
It is a steady, peaceful time. Summer’s noise has faded, and the chill of winter lingers just beyond the horizon. The world feels balanced and ready for the season ahead.
🍁🌧️
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction
The air feels fresh and calm, carrying the clean scent of rain. As days grow shorter, muted light persists with a quiet warmth, softening everything it touches. Bare trees stand clear against a pale sky, and the ground glows with the color of old leaves.
It is a steady, peaceful time. Summer’s noise has faded, and the chill of winter lingers just beyond the horizon. The world feels balanced and ready for the season ahead.
🍁🌧️
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction
A tiny train crosses the vast landscapes of Canada in Jeff Friesen’s photographs.
About a decade ago, the photographer began a playful project called The Canadian: Ghost Train Crossing Canada.
Using a five-centimeter model of the classic 1955 streamliner, he recreated its journey from Toronto to Vancouver. The miniature train appeared in forests, canyons, and along quiet shores, turning the country’s open spaces into scenes of nostalgia and imagination.
The real Canadian, now operated by VIA Rail, travels 4,466 kilometers between Toronto and Vancouver in just over four days, making around 65 stops, many of them on request. When it debuted in 1955 under Canadian Pacific Railway, it introduced sleek stainless-steel coaches and panoramic dome cars that defined a new standard of comfort and style.
Today, The Canadian still carries passengers across the country in three service classes: Economy, Sleeper Plus, and Prestige. Its signature Skyline cars, with glass-roofed observation lounges, offer sweeping views of rivers, mountains, prairies, and forests that stretch to the horizon.
In 2013, The Canadian earned a place on Canada’s $10 polymer banknote, celebrating a train that continues to link the nation from coast to coast.
P.S. This Canadian may be small, but its journey remains as grand as ever.
🚂🫧⛰️
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained #PS_NPS_Transport
About a decade ago, the photographer began a playful project called The Canadian: Ghost Train Crossing Canada.
Using a five-centimeter model of the classic 1955 streamliner, he recreated its journey from Toronto to Vancouver. The miniature train appeared in forests, canyons, and along quiet shores, turning the country’s open spaces into scenes of nostalgia and imagination.
The real Canadian, now operated by VIA Rail, travels 4,466 kilometers between Toronto and Vancouver in just over four days, making around 65 stops, many of them on request. When it debuted in 1955 under Canadian Pacific Railway, it introduced sleek stainless-steel coaches and panoramic dome cars that defined a new standard of comfort and style.
Today, The Canadian still carries passengers across the country in three service classes: Economy, Sleeper Plus, and Prestige. Its signature Skyline cars, with glass-roofed observation lounges, offer sweeping views of rivers, mountains, prairies, and forests that stretch to the horizon.
In 2013, The Canadian earned a place on Canada’s $10 polymer banknote, celebrating a train that continues to link the nation from coast to coast.
P.S. This Canadian may be small, but its journey remains as grand as ever.
🚂🫧⛰️
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained #PS_NPS_Transport
It is not uncommon for decommissioned masterpieces of engineering to find a second life as centers of culture and creativity.
One of the most famous examples in Russia is GES-2 in Moscow.
Originally a tram power station, it was redeveloped in 2015 under the direction of Italian architect Renzo Piano, one of the pioneers of high-tech architecture. Piano transformed the building into more than just a museum. Today, GES-2 is one of the city’s most popular art spaces for learning, creativity, and self-development.
In London, the Tate Modern gallery once served as the Bankside Power Station, a coal-fired plant redeveloped after World War II. Its striking industrial design and distinctive silhouette give the museum’s vast exhibition spaces a unique atmosphere.
Shanghai’s former Nanshi Power Plant has been reborn as China’s first state-run museum of contemporary art. The name is quite fitting: the Power Station of Art. In 2019, it hosted an exclusive exhibition by French architect Jean Nouvel, and every two years the museum becomes a major venue for the Shanghai Biennale.
Rome’s first power station, built in 1912, has also been transformed.
Today, it houses the Centrale Montemartini, an archaeological museum where ancient sculptures stand amid gleaming industrial pipes, creating a striking blend of antiquity and modernity.
P.S. First, they powered cities; now, they power thought.
🔌💭🧑🎨
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained #PS_NPS_Architecture #PS_NPS_History
One of the most famous examples in Russia is GES-2 in Moscow.
Originally a tram power station, it was redeveloped in 2015 under the direction of Italian architect Renzo Piano, one of the pioneers of high-tech architecture. Piano transformed the building into more than just a museum. Today, GES-2 is one of the city’s most popular art spaces for learning, creativity, and self-development.
In London, the Tate Modern gallery once served as the Bankside Power Station, a coal-fired plant redeveloped after World War II. Its striking industrial design and distinctive silhouette give the museum’s vast exhibition spaces a unique atmosphere.
Shanghai’s former Nanshi Power Plant has been reborn as China’s first state-run museum of contemporary art. The name is quite fitting: the Power Station of Art. In 2019, it hosted an exclusive exhibition by French architect Jean Nouvel, and every two years the museum becomes a major venue for the Shanghai Biennale.
Rome’s first power station, built in 1912, has also been transformed.
Today, it houses the Centrale Montemartini, an archaeological museum where ancient sculptures stand amid gleaming industrial pipes, creating a striking blend of antiquity and modernity.
P.S. First, they powered cities; now, they power thought.
🔌💭🧑🎨
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained #PS_NPS_Architecture #PS_NPS_History
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Winter hasn’t arrived yet, but in Russia everyone is already preparing for the first snow. Tire shops are crowded, and road crews are busy stocking de‑icing materials in anticipation of icy streets.
Winter and icy roads aren’t just a local problem. Around the world, people have found some surprisingly creative ways to deal with ice.
In Iowa, for example, road crews once ran out of regular salt during heavy snowfalls. Local spice producers stepped in with several tons of expired garlic salt, which worked as a temporary solution.
Agricultural waste can also help. Grape skins and other winemaking byproducts, when mixed with salt, can melt ice more effectively than salt alone, although the sugar content can make roads sticky and even interfere with some breathalyzers.
In Idaho, engineers tested Solar Roadways, smart panels that combine solar cells, LED lights, and sensors. In winter, the panels can melt snow automatically, while in summer they generate electricity. The downside? These roads are extremely expensive, and some early prototypes, like a similar installation in France, broke down after only a few years.
In countries like Iceland and Japan, some roads are heated using geothermal energy. Pipes beneath the pavement carry steam from underground sources to keep the surface ice-free. The catch is that this only works in areas with volcanic activity or other geothermal resources.
For all our technology, we still share one simple remedy for winter's peril with every generation before us: the patient arrival of spring.
P.S. Officer, I swear, it’s the grape-salt fumes!
🍇🧂❄️
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained
Winter and icy roads aren’t just a local problem. Around the world, people have found some surprisingly creative ways to deal with ice.
In Iowa, for example, road crews once ran out of regular salt during heavy snowfalls. Local spice producers stepped in with several tons of expired garlic salt, which worked as a temporary solution.
Agricultural waste can also help. Grape skins and other winemaking byproducts, when mixed with salt, can melt ice more effectively than salt alone, although the sugar content can make roads sticky and even interfere with some breathalyzers.
In Idaho, engineers tested Solar Roadways, smart panels that combine solar cells, LED lights, and sensors. In winter, the panels can melt snow automatically, while in summer they generate electricity. The downside? These roads are extremely expensive, and some early prototypes, like a similar installation in France, broke down after only a few years.
In countries like Iceland and Japan, some roads are heated using geothermal energy. Pipes beneath the pavement carry steam from underground sources to keep the surface ice-free. The catch is that this only works in areas with volcanic activity or other geothermal resources.
For all our technology, we still share one simple remedy for winter's peril with every generation before us: the patient arrival of spring.
P.S. Officer, I swear, it’s the grape-salt fumes!
🍇🧂❄️
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Explained
Imagine a subway station painted by Pablo Picasso with bold geometry, vivid colours and unexpected shapes. That is the atmosphere of Estação Olaias in Lisbon.
Opened in May 1998 for Expo 98, the station sits on the Red Line and quickly became one of the city’s most striking modern landmarks. Designed by Portuguese architect Tomás Taveira, it features work from several artists whose styles blend into a vibrant, theatrical space.
The stained glass ceilings made from richly coloured panels cast shifting light across the station. The walls echo these tones with geometric patterns that create a sense of movement and depth. Massive metal-like columns rise through the hall and look as though they were lifted from an old industrial plant.
The result feels is fantastical. The dramatic height, the vivid palette and the mix of materials transform a simple transit point into an immersive underground world. It is a rare example of infrastructure that doubles as an art experience and remains one of Lisbon’s most memorable metro stations.
P.S. Warning: You may forget to board your train.
🖍💥🎫
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Transport #PS_NPS_Art
Opened in May 1998 for Expo 98, the station sits on the Red Line and quickly became one of the city’s most striking modern landmarks. Designed by Portuguese architect Tomás Taveira, it features work from several artists whose styles blend into a vibrant, theatrical space.
The stained glass ceilings made from richly coloured panels cast shifting light across the station. The walls echo these tones with geometric patterns that create a sense of movement and depth. Massive metal-like columns rise through the hall and look as though they were lifted from an old industrial plant.
The result feels is fantastical. The dramatic height, the vivid palette and the mix of materials transform a simple transit point into an immersive underground world. It is a rare example of infrastructure that doubles as an art experience and remains one of Lisbon’s most memorable metro stations.
P.S. Warning: You may forget to board your train.
🖍💥🎫
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_Transport #PS_NPS_Art
In 1881, London opened the Savoy Theatre, the first public building in the world lit entirely by electricity. With its success, the owners built the luxurious Savoy Hotel in 1889, which soon became famous.
At the turn of the century, a grey-bearded visitor from France checked into this hotel. It was the painter Claude Monet. He probably spent little time exploring the hotel. Instead, he worked at the window of his sixth-floor room, overlooking a sharp bend in the Thames. He could see bridges in the distance, shrouded in London’s shifting mists.
Monet had once written that London would not be beautiful without its fog. He believed it gave the city its depth and mystery. For months, he returned to the same spot, capturing the river and the bridges in changing light. This is how his famous London Series was created, with 35 paintings of Charing Cross Bridge and 41 of Waterloo Bridge.
The views Monet painted have disappeared. A new Waterloo Bridge was built in 1945. Charing Cross Bridge has been transformed into the Hungerford Bridge. London’s fog is far less common, and the trees along Victoria Embankment now rise high enough to block the sixth-floor view. Monet’s paintings preserve a landscape that no longer exists.
P.S. Monet turned bad weather into masterpieces. Try that with today’s drizzle.
🪷🌂🎩
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_History #PS_NPS_Art
At the turn of the century, a grey-bearded visitor from France checked into this hotel. It was the painter Claude Monet. He probably spent little time exploring the hotel. Instead, he worked at the window of his sixth-floor room, overlooking a sharp bend in the Thames. He could see bridges in the distance, shrouded in London’s shifting mists.
Monet had once written that London would not be beautiful without its fog. He believed it gave the city its depth and mystery. For months, he returned to the same spot, capturing the river and the bridges in changing light. This is how his famous London Series was created, with 35 paintings of Charing Cross Bridge and 41 of Waterloo Bridge.
The views Monet painted have disappeared. A new Waterloo Bridge was built in 1945. Charing Cross Bridge has been transformed into the Hungerford Bridge. London’s fog is far less common, and the trees along Victoria Embankment now rise high enough to block the sixth-floor view. Monet’s paintings preserve a landscape that no longer exists.
P.S. Monet turned bad weather into masterpieces. Try that with today’s drizzle.
🪷🌂🎩
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_History #PS_NPS_Art
Construction of the first Moscow - Saint Petersburg high-speed rail line marks a major step toward strengthening Russia’s technological leadership. At a panel session during Transport Week, Nikita Terentyev, CEO of NPS//ST, spoke about the unique engineering solutions that GC NPS has developed for the country’s first high-speed railway.
🤗 Next-generation ballastless track
Existing foreign high-speed rail track designs do not meet the requirements of the Russian project. They are intended for lower speeds, milder climates, and a narrower gauge. GC NPS developed its own system based on an innovative concrete rail slab that can withstand temperature extremes from minus 50°C to plus 50°C. Its service life is at least 50 years.
🤗 Robotic manufacturing plants
The slabs will be produced at two GC NPS plants in the Novgorod and Tver regions. Automation throughout the process will ensure an accuracy of about 0.5 millimeters.
🤗 Track foundation and soil stabilization
Large parts of the high-speed rail route pass through waterlogged and weak soils. The project requires that track settlement remain within 15 millimeters over 50 years of operation. Meeting this requirement calls for unprecedented engineering solutions. More than one million piles will be installed to strengthen the subgrade.
🤗 Bridges and elevated structures
The total length of bridges and other engineered structures along the route will be about 180 kilometers. The bridges will use unique 700-ton beams. To produce them, GC NPS will build 10 dedicated production sites operating around the clock.
P.S. For those keeping track.
🏗️ 🚆👷🏻
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_News #PS_NPS_Projects
Existing foreign high-speed rail track designs do not meet the requirements of the Russian project. They are intended for lower speeds, milder climates, and a narrower gauge. GC NPS developed its own system based on an innovative concrete rail slab that can withstand temperature extremes from minus 50°C to plus 50°C. Its service life is at least 50 years.
The slabs will be produced at two GC NPS plants in the Novgorod and Tver regions. Automation throughout the process will ensure an accuracy of about 0.5 millimeters.
Large parts of the high-speed rail route pass through waterlogged and weak soils. The project requires that track settlement remain within 15 millimeters over 50 years of operation. Meeting this requirement calls for unprecedented engineering solutions. More than one million piles will be installed to strengthen the subgrade.
The total length of bridges and other engineered structures along the route will be about 180 kilometers. The bridges will use unique 700-ton beams. To produce them, GC NPS will build 10 dedicated production sites operating around the clock.
“High-speed rail requires specialists who can work where multiple engineering disciplines meet and who understand the system as a whole. A modern construction professional must be confident in using digital tools such as BIM models, GIS systems, and laser scanning. The project demands exceptional precision, adaptability, and the ability to find nonstandard solutions,” said Nikita Terentyev.
P.S. For those keeping track.
🏗️ 🚆👷🏻
#PS_NPS #NationalProjectConstruction #PS_NPS_News #PS_NPS_Projects
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