Centennial Bridge | from WEST a EAST | 360º Video
Channel: virKtual
Date: 2021-05-26

Centennial Bridge

The Centennial Bridge is the second bridge that was built to cross the Panama Canal.

It was built to ease the traffic of the Bridge of the Americas and replace the route of the Pan American Highway.

It was inaugurated in 2004 and its name commemorates the first centenary of the birth of the Republic that occurred on November 3, 1903.

Its construction was carried out on the Culebra Cut, which is the narrowest point of the Canal. Here, men and machines worked to conquer the 8.75 mile area that stretches across the Continental Cordillera from Gamboa on the Chagres River in the north to Pedro Miguel in the south.

The lowest point in the pass between Cerro del Oro to the east and Contractor Hills to the west, which was 333 feet above sea level.

In the video we have a crossing from west to east, we see a container ship of the Panamax type that comes from the Atlantic, which to reach the Pacific has to pass 3 sets of locks: Gatún on the north side and after passing through the bridge it is his turn the Pedro Miguel Locks and the last set of Miraflores locks to descend a total of 25 to 30 meters (depending on the time of year) to the Pacific Ocean.

Unlike the Suez Canal that was carved at sea level, the Panama Canal had to use the cause of the Chagres River, through mountains and jungle, for that reason the change in elevation from sea level, that is why they are used the locks for this.