The Roman bridge in Patras was revealed in the early 1980?s while digging for the foundation of a modern house. It is the best preserved double-arched bridge in Greece, constructed in the 2nd-3rd century AD over Kallinaos river, which today flows at about 100m further to the south and had been erroneously identified with river Meilichos. The bridge was embedded in the provincial public road that connected Patras with Aigion, the Via Publica. The part of the road passing on top of the bridge was paved (as opposed to the rest of its trace, strewn in pebbles). Still preserved are the wagons? wheel-ruts; apparently traffic here was thick in antiquity. This particular point was flanked by a short balustrade built of bricks and re-used architectural elements, to protect the people passing by. The bridge itself was constructed of bricks, whereas its piers were made of stone up to the beginning of the vaults. For the sound foundation of the monument, architectural elements (such as blocks and column shafts) of older, dismantled buildings were laid as substructure on the river bed.



This bridge replaced an older one, dating in the 1st ct AD and preserved a little further to the south. This predecessor was adequately smaller, single-arched and built of poros blocks. According to an inscribed honourary decree recovered in the foundation trench of the new bridge, expenses for the construction of the predecessor were covered by Artemios from Messatis, who thus linked Patras with his own homeland. A few centuries later, after a devastating flood, the river bed was silted. Nevertheless, the road remained in use for much longer.