The canal is 163 km long, and has a width is a minimum of 60 metres. The canal is cutting through three lakes, the Lake Manzala, in the north from which it is protected with a bedding on the western side, the Lake Timsah in the middle, and the Bitter Lakes further south. The Bitter Lakes makes up almost 30 km of the total length. Along most of the length, there is only one lane for traffic available, though there are a handful of passing bays. The canal is extensively used by modern ships, as it is the fastest crossing from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.
Taxes paid by the vessels represent an important source of income for the Egyptian government.
For the following centuries, the canal was only partially maintained. The canal is no longer maintained, and soon becomes unnavigable. By a French initiative, the viceroy of Egypt, Said Pasha, decides for the project of building a canal that would connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. The company, which was owned by both French and Egyptian interests, should both build the canal, and administer it for the following 99 years. After this time, the ownership would pass over to the Egyptian government.