14 Jul Bridge of the Americas
By Natalie Warner
Completed in 1962, Puente de Las Americas (Bridge of the Americas) is a four-lane bridge that crosses the Pacific side of the Panama Canal. Construction began in 1959 and was built by the United States. The bridge is currently one of two bridges to cross the Panama Canal. A third bridge, Puente Atlantico, (the Atlantic Bridge), is currently under construction in Colón, and is expected to be completed later this year.
Barges were used prior to the existence of Bridge of the Americas. They provided access to and from Colón and Panama City. Military personnel and Canal workers were initially the primary users of these barges. However, completion of the Panama Canal in 1914 and a new road to Chirquí resulted in more traffic.
The Presidente Amador and Presidente Washington ferries were among the first two ferries to be commissioned in 1931. Additional barges and ferries were added over a span of 9 years. By 1942 a swing bridge was built to help with an increasing traffic demands. This bridge was inaugurated at the Miraflores Locks and could only be used when ships were not passing through the Canal. Another ferry, Presidente Porras, was commissioned at the end of 1942 to help alleviate traffic.
View of the swing bridge. source
A need for a bridge across the Canal was recognized by Panamanian administrations as early as 1923. The Ramón-Eisenhower Treaty of 1955 was responsible for the United States’ contribution of a bridge spanning across the Panama Canal. Construction took three years and cost $20 million (roughly $161 million in 2017 dollars).
Bridge of the Americas did not receive this official name until 1979, after the Panamanian government obtained control of the bridge. It was originally called the Thatcher Ferry Bridge, after Maurice H. Thatcher, a former Canal Commission member, who commissioned a ferry at the same location. Pro-Panamanian protesters removed memorial plaques on the bridge during the bridge’s inauguration ceremony.
Upon its completion, the bridge had roughly 9,500 vehicles pass per day. By 2004, the number had increased to over 35,000 vehicles. The bridge is 1,654m (5,425ft) in length. Clearance under the main span is 61.3m (201ft) at high tide. The world’s largest cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, and Harmony of the Seas, cannot pass—even during low tide.
Driving over the bridge can be exciting as you get the opportunity to see ships entering and exiting at the Panama Canal. The construction of Bridge of the Americas played a significant roll in expanding accessibility to the rest of the country. This is something all of us living in the beaches area can appreciate.