Centennial Bridge, Panama, Cable-stayed road bridge over the Panama Canal, Panama
The Centennial Bridge is a cable-stayed road bridge over the Panama Canal, with a total span of 1,052 m and a main span of 420 m that clears the water by 80 m. Two concrete pylons, each 184 m tall, rise above the deck and carry two fan-shaped arrays of cables down to the deck edges. The deck carries six traffic lanes.
The crossing opened on August 15, 2004, becoming the second fixed span over the Panama Canal. Its completion eased pressure on the Bridge of the Americas, which had been the only road link across the waterway.
The structure takes its name from Panama's independence centennial, celebrated in November 2003. Today it carries daily traffic between the northern and southern regions, linking communities on both sides of the canal.
The crossing lies about 15 kilometers north of the Bridge of the Americas and offers a direct route between provinces. Traffic flows in both directions across all six lanes, and the roadway is wide enough for trucks and buses.
The deck stands high enough to allow ships with a clearance of 80 meters to pass below, including large ocean freighters. The single plane of cables along the center gives clear sightlines from both sides of the roadway.
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