The Centennial Bridge is the second most important bridge in the Republic of Panama. It crosses the Culebra Cut and is located just 15 kilometers north of the Bridge of the Americas.
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| Centennial Bridge Panama |
Built to alleviate the heavy traffic that generated large blocks of the Bridge of the Americas, with 35,000 cars a day. It has an innovative cable-stayed design designed to withstand the frequent tremors in the region. It is 1,052 meters long and has 184 concrete steel pillars with riveted connections.
Historical Review
The construction of the Centennial Bridge, arises from the necessity of the difficult transit of the Bridge of the Americas. At the inauguration of the latter in 1962, it was traveled by about 9500 cars. However, this figure increased dramatically as the population grew and with them the number that traveled this bridge daily, reaching about 35,000 cars a day, a figure that achieved a large traffic jam at any time of the day.
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| Centennial Bridge Panama |
Due to this situation, the government decided to build another bridge in 2002 and whose contract would be estimated at an amount of 120 million dollars. The completion of the work was estimated about 29 months later, which coincided with the centenary of the republic in 2003.
For which it is honored with the name of Puente Centenario. The work was carried out by Bilfinger Berger AG from Germany. The structure was inaugurated on August 15, 2004 and opened to the public in September 2005. Due to the delay in the construction of the roads that would give access to it.
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| Centennial Bridge Panama |
The Centennial Bridge, Today
While it is true that the work was started to decongest the Bridge of the Americas, it quickly became the second most important bridge in the country and that crosses the Panama Canal.
Design
The design of the Centennial Bridge is a cable-stayed type design, it was designed to withstand the tremors in the region. It has a length of 1,052 meters long, 320 meters high in the arch 80 meters high over the canal. It is supported by two 184 meter high towers and provides six lanes for traffic.
Bridge Features
- Traverses: Panama Canal
- Length: 1052 meters
- Height: 80 meters
- Span Length: 420 meters
- Pillars: 184
- Cost of the Work: $ 120 million
- Engineers: Leonhardt Andrä & Asociados
- Opening: September 2, 2005
- Bridge Type: Tight bow
Innovations
Given the expansion of the Panama Canal, the need has arisen for a third bridge over this great interoceanic highway.
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| Centennial Bridge Panama |
The Panama Canal Authority recently granted the construction order of what will be the first bridge over the Atlantic to the French company Vinci Construction Grands Projets. The viaduct will be built three kilometers from the Gatun Lake locks. With a:
- Length of 4.6 kilometers and
- A height of 75 meters above sea level
It is estimated that the work has an approximate cost of 365 million dollars.
The viaduct seeks to connect the town of Costa Abajo in the Province of Colón with the rest of the country.