El Ferdan Railway Bridge, Steel railway bridge in Ismailia, Egypt
El Ferdan Railway Bridge is a swing bridge over the western shipping lane of the Suez Canal, 12 km north of Ismailia. Its two horizontal truss spans, each 320 m long and 12.6 m wide, rotate on a turntable with a 17.10 m outer diameter. The deck sits 15 m above the water, and the steel structure weighs 10,500 tonnes.
The first structure was built in 1918 for the Sinai Military Railway, though later versions suffered damage during regional conflicts. The current bridge opened in 2001, representing the fourth generation of this strategic crossing.
The bridge connects mainland Egypt with the Sinai Peninsula and enables the movement of people and goods between Africa and Asia. For many travelers, it stands as a visible symbol of connection between two continents.
Visitors can observe the bridge from several viewing points when ships pass and the rotating mechanism operates. Daytime visits offer the best lighting and are more likely to coincide with regular vessel traffic.
The bridge's two rotating trusses each measure 320 metres and rest on a turntable with an outer diameter of 17.10 metres. The whole structure weighs 13,200 tonnes, of which 10,500 tonnes are steel, and the deck sits 15 metres above the canal water.
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