Sunday, December 24, 2017, Passing thru the Panama Canal, Part 5
The Bridge of the Americas (Spanish: Puente de las Américas; originally known as the Thatcher Ferry Bridge)
is a road bridge in Panama, which spans
the Pacific entrance to the Panama
Canal. Completed in 1962, at a cost of US$20 million, it
was the only non-swinging bridge (there are two other bridges, one at the Miraflores locks and
one at the Gatun locks) connecting the north and south American land
masses until the opening of the Centennial Bridge in
2004. The bridge was designed by Sverdrup & Parcel.
The Bridge of the Americas crosses the Pacific approach to the Panama Canal at Balboa,
near Panama
City. It was built between 1959 and 1962 by the United States at
a cost of US$20 million. From its completion in 1962
until the opening of the parallel Centennial Bridge in 2004, the Bridge of
the Americas was a key part of the Pan-American Highway. The Bridge of the
Americas greatly increases road traffic capacity across the Canal. Two earlier
bridges cross the Canal, but they use movable designs and have limited traffic
capacity. These earlier spans include a small swinging road bridge, built into
the lock structure at Gatún, and a swinging road/rail bridge constructed in
1942 at Miraflores. The Centennial Bridge was constructed to eliminate the
bottleneck of, and reduce traffic congestion on, the Bridge of the Americas.
The bridge is a cantilever design
where the suspended span is a tied arch. The
bridge has a total length of 1,654 m (5,425 ft) in 14 spans, abutment
to abutment. The main span measures 344 m (1,129 ft) and the tied
arch (the center part of the main span) is 259 m (850 ft). The
highest point of the bridge is 117 m (384 ft) above mean sea level;
the clearance under the main span is 61.3 m (201 ft) at high tide.
Ships must cross under this bridge when traversing the Panama Canal, and are
subject to this height restriction. The world's largest cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and
the Harmony of the Seas will
fit within the canal's widened locks, but
they are too tall to pass under the Bridge of the Americas, even at low tide,
unless the Bridge of the Americas is raised in the future. (The Centennial
Bridge is also a fixed obstacle, but its clearance is much higher: 80.0 m
(262 ft).)
The bridge is an impressive sight, and a good view can be
obtained from the Balboa Yacht Club, where many small boats tie up before or
after transiting the canal. Throughout the day and night numerous vessels pass
under the bridge, either entering or departing from the Panama Canal. There are
wide access ramps at each end, and pedestrian walkways on each side.
From the beginning of the French project to construct a canal,
it was recognized that the cities of Colón and Panamá would
be split from the rest of the republic by the new canal. This was an issue even
during construction, when barges were used to ferry construction workers across
the canal.
After the canal opened, the increasing number of cars, and the
construction of a new road leading to Chiriquí, in the west of Panama, increased the
need for some kind of crossing. The Panama Canal Mechanical Division addressed
this in August 1931, with the commissioning of two new ferries, the Presidente
Amador and President Washington. This
service was expanded in August 1940, with additional barges mainly serving the
military.
On June 3, 1942, a road/rail swing bridge was inaugurated at the
Miraflores locks; although only usable when no ships were passing, this
provided some relief for traffic wishing to cross the canal. Still, it was
clear that a more substantial solution would be required. To meet the growing
needs of vehicle traffic, another ferry, the Presidente Porras, was
added in November 1942.
A contract worth $20,000,000 was awarded to John F. Beasly &
Company who built the bridge out of steel and reinforced concrete, and the
project was initiated in a ceremony which took place on December 23, 1958, in
the presence of United States Ambassador Julian Harrington, and Panamanian
President Ernesto de la Guardia Navarro. Construction
began on October 12, 1959, and took nearly two-and-a-half years to complete.The
idea of a permanent bridge over the canal had been proposed as a major priority
as early as 1923. Subsequent administrations of Panama pressed this issue with
the United States, which controlled the Canal Zone; and in 1955 the Remón-Eisenhower treaty committed the
United States to building a bridge.
The inauguration of the bridge took place on October 12, 1962,
with great ceremony. The ribbon was cut by Maurice H. Thatcher, after which those present
were allowed to walk across the bridge. The ceremony was given full nationwide
coverage on radio and television; significant precautions were taken to manage
the large crowds of people present. These proved inadequate, however, and
pro-Panamanian protesters disrupted the ceremony, even removing the memorial
plaques on the bridge.
When opened, the bridge was an important part
of the Pan-American
Highway, and carried around 9,500 vehicles per day;
however, this expanded over time, and by 2004 the bridge was carrying 35,000
vehicles per day. The bridge therefore became a significant bottleneck on the
highway, which led to the construction of the Centennial
Bridge, which now carries the Pan-American Highway
too. On May 18, 2010, the bulk cargo ship Atlantic
Hero struck one of the protective bases of the
bridge after losing engine power, partially blocking that section of the canal
to shipping traffic. The bridge did not receive damage and there were no
fatalities. On December 2010, the Centennial Bridge access road collapsed in a
mudslide, and commercial traffic was diverted to the Bridge of The Americas.
This post is two days late due to the computer
operator inadvertently deleting the photo files. Thanks to a very clever
and informed friend and co-volunteer (Eileen) at My Father's House, the COR
Furnishings Ministry, I was once again bailed out. We hope you enjoyed,
even with its length.
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