Suez Canal Bridge, Cable-stayed bridge in El-Qantara al-Sharqiya, Egypt
The Suez Canal Bridge spans 3900 meters across the waterway, linking Africa to Asia with a steel and concrete structure supported by two H-shaped pylons rising 154 meters high. The roadway sits well above the water to allow large vessels to pass freely beneath.
Construction began in 1995 with financial support from Japan, which covered around 60 percent of the total costs. Completion followed after several years of work and marked an important step in the region's infrastructure.
The name El-Qantara translates to 'the bridge' in Arabic, reflecting the location's historical role as a crossing point between continents.
Four traffic lanes allow continuous movement between both continents and the structure maintains a clearance of 70 meters above the water so ships can pass without difficulty. The crossing stays open around the clock and vehicles of all sizes can use the bridge.
The two main pylons show design elements borrowed from ancient Egyptian obelisks while supporting the longest span of 404 meters with steel cables. This architectural connection between ancient form and modern engineering makes the bridge a special structure.
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