Infrastructure maintenance and the innovative approach to monitoring structural health introduced by the “Smart Bridges” project as well as the responsibility for their operation, were highlighted during the presentation of the project being implemented by the Technical Chamber of Greece, under the responsibility of and in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, with funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The president of the Technical Chamber of Greece, George Stassinopoulos, spoke of “the most modern infrastructure monitoring project currently underway in the country, within the strict timelines of the ‘Greece 2.0’ plan, and the TEE is demonstrating in practice that national resources are making a difference.”
In his speech, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Nikos Tachiaos spoke of a leap forward in time rather than a simple transition, referring to the project’s innovative nature. He described the Technical Chamber of Greece’s decision to undertake such a project as “a bold decision that is visionary precisely because it prioritizes scientific data over all other considerations.” He also emphasized the need for the program to be functional and for every user agency to take responsibility for whatever arises, as well as the obligation to address it.
For his part, Secretary General of Infrastructure Dimitrios Anagnostopoulos noted in his speech, representing Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas, that “the ‘Smart Bridges’ project introduces a new approach to infrastructure management, as the utilization of the structural response of connected road and rail bridges throughout the country, and by monitoring them in real time using modern technological systems, the conditions are created for a comprehensive and effective maintenance and prevention policy.”
Tachiaos: The main goal is for the project to become operational, and anyone unwilling to take responsibility must face the corresponding consequences
Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Nikos Tachiaos, opening the event, described the “Smart Bridges” project a “leap forward,” acknowledging that today the developed world “faces a problem with the maintenance of infrastructure that has significantly aged” and must at least be inspected.
He described the issue of maintenance as “major,” a topic that, as he said, “many intuitively understand, but nevertheless find difficult to address, for two reasons. The first is because it involves disruption. The second is because it involves the financial aspects of this problem.”
Regarding the disruption, he cited as an example a bridge in Attica that has been required to be replaced for years; however, the project “stalls” at the local municipality, which refuses to allow demolition and reconstruction, even though it is a contractual obligation of the concessionaire. He also commented that “some people are turning the disruption this project would cause into a political issue.” Regarding the economic impact, he noted that “one of the most significant issues we face regarding the bridges is that no competent authority wants to address the issue” due to the resources “which are absolutely essential either for its maintenance or for its replacement. And that, too, is not easy.”
He then referred to the role of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), which acts on behalf of the State “to provide us with the tools that allow all authorities to monitor and prioritize based on the problems.”
According to the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, “what matters is that the entities that may be users of this system, the potential users, to know that they will now be responsible for whatever arises and that when a problem arises, it is their responsibility to take it upon themselves to address it. The familiar story where one passes the problem on to another will come to an end.”
He added that “this is the fundamental purpose of making this program operational, and of course, anyone unwilling to assume the responsibility that falls to them will face the corresponding consequences. This is the discussion regarding the management of this program. The implementation of the Bridge Inspection Regulation was one of the top priorities from the very beginning. We are building this mechanism.”
He explained that “bridge-related issues are not limited to a digital system. At the same time, we had to establish the administrative authority that will play both a supervisory and an advisory role in these matters.” As Mr. Tachiaos noted, we must “through consultation and, of course, through presentations like today’s, we must convince all the entities responsible for bridge management of the necessity to use this as a tool that aims primarily not only at the quality of travel but, above all, at the safety of travel.”
The project, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure emphasized, “will not end with the conclusion of the contractual obligation but will serve as a tool for the entire Greek public administration.”
Anagnostopoulos: A tool that enhances safety, improves decision-making, and contributes to the sustainable and effective management of critical technical projects
Representing the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Dimas, Secretary General of Infrastructure Dimitrios Anagnostopoulos noted that the project “is a prime example of how the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport views the digital transformation of infrastructure: not as an end in itself, but as a tool that enhances safety, improves decision-making, and contributes to the sustainable and effective management of critical technical projects.”
The Secretary General praised the collaboration with the Technical Chamber of Greece, “which possesses the scientific knowledge and technical expertise to contribute substantially to the implementation of such a complex and innovative project,” as he noted. “The partnership between the State and the institutional bodies of the technical community is a fundamental prerequisite for the successful implementation of projects that create long-term value for the country,” he emphasized.
He placed particular emphasis on the issue of infrastructure maintenance, noting that “today, it is not enough to simply build new infrastructure. We must have real-time knowledge of the condition of existing infrastructure, utilize the data provided by technology, and take preventive action before a problem escalates into a hazard.”
He described the project as “nationwide” and highlighted its benefits, stating: “First and foremost, it enhances the safety of infrastructure and creates the conditions for preventing future accidents. At the same time, continuous monitoring of bridge behavior allows for the early detection of potential failures, faster decision-making, and the implementation of targeted measures where necessary.
Furthermore, at a time when the impacts of the climate crisis are becoming increasingly severe, the project makes a substantial contribution to strengthening the resilience of infrastructure against extreme events. At the same time, by leveraging real-world data, it enables a more rational allocation of available resources, with maintenance and reinforcement interventions prioritized where there is a genuine need.”
“Today, it is not enough to simply build new infrastructure. We must know the condition of existing infrastructure in real time, utilize the data provided by technology, and take preventive action before a problem escalates into a hazard,” emphasized Mr. Anagnostopoulos.
G. Stassinopoulos: “We intervene at the right time, proactively”
George Stassinopoulos spoke of a project that represents a “true, profound breakthrough” and which essentially creates “a digital twin for each of the hundreds of bridges—road and rail—that have been included in the program.”
He emphasized modern tools that utilize cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, which provide real-time information on the structural health of the bridge.
The project marks a radical shift in the prevailing mindset, as, according to the president of the Technical Chamber of Greece, “we don’t wait for a disaster to occur before acknowledging that a problem existed. Nor do we want to look for someone to blame after the fact or investigate whether maintenance was performed—all of which, unfortunately, we have experienced in the past”—but the project enables us “to intervene at the right time, as a preventive measure.” “Not to heal wounds and deal with disasters, but to prevent them,” he emphasized.
After all, as he emphasized, “the development of all our planning must be guided by resilience, with new digital tools as our main weapon.” In this context, George Stassinopoulos described infrastructure maintenance as “just as important—if not more important” than new projects. As he explained, Greece needs to act quickly, as this is an issue that “we will face head-on.”
“We must redirect funds toward the maintenance and operation of projects”
George Stassinopoulos presented specific proposals regarding the financing of maintenance, emphasizing that “resilience comes at a high economic cost, but the cost of destruction is many times greater.”
“We propose a radical reallocation of resources. We must redirect funds toward the maintenance and operation of infrastructure projects, and a realistic, feasible way to do this is to leverage and expand successful models such as Concessions and Public-Private Partnerships,” he noted.
At the same time, he proposed “that tough European negotiations begin immediately so that the funds for the new programming period, from the European funds, do not go solely to new projects but clearly cover infrastructure maintenance projects as well.” He added that “this is a battle Greece must fight in Brussels.”
Four steps toward “resilience in practice”
Delving deeper into infrastructure issues, George Stassinopoulos proposed four “specific, clear steps” for the government:
First, to make it mandatory for all infrastructure to be included in the National Infrastructure Registry, a system implemented by the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) that aims “to know exactly what we have and what condition it is in.”
Second, pre-earthquake inspections should be immediately expanded to all public buildings and critical infrastructure in the country.
Third, structural stability assessments of buildings should be linked to their energy retrofits and to any housing or renovation program, provided that strong financial incentives and subsidies are offered to owners.
Fourth, the smart bridge network should be immediately utilized as a dynamic tool for policy decisions and strategic planning. Regarding the implementation of the project, the president of the Technical Chamber of Greece emphasized that “state operations must be organized immediately and appropriately, with a clear, institutionalized operational model that defines specific roles for the Ministry of Infrastructure, Civil Protection, local government at both levels, and all relevant agencies, so that information can be immediately translated into action.”
“The sensors we are presenting today and those we will install in the future require maintenance, replacement, and calibration; the software requires constant upgrades. The Smart Bridges project and all the digital upgrade projects we are undertaking at the TEE have incorporated a significant period of maintenance and operational support. We need to plan now for its subsequent, long-term operation and support,” he emphasized.
The TEE has one major goal: Digital twins everywhere
Continuing, George Stassinopoulos reiterated that “the TEE’s main goal is one: digital twins everywhere, in every public policy in the technical sector,” explaining that “only in this way can we be a truly modern state.”
Digital twins, he emphasized, will allow us “to monitor all infrastructure projects via our computers and know at any given moment what condition they are in, what our priorities should be, and how we can maintain them properly.”
At the same time, according to the president of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE), “to make all this a reality, we need our most valuable asset—the human factor, Greek engineers,” adding that “we must invest immediately in their education and the upgrading of their skills, in upskilling, because our engineers are the ones who will be called upon to manage these digital twins, to transform cutting-edge technology into everyday safety practices.”
According to George Stasinos, the “Smart Bridges” project represents a “decisive step.”
“Investing in resilience and prevention—rather than in healing the wounds of natural disasters—is an investment that benefits everyone. 'Smart Bridges' point the way to the future. The Technical Chamber of Greece will continue to take the lead, to design and rapidly implement projects that move Greece forward," he said.