Panama Canal approves construction start for bridge on Caribbean side

THE Panama Canal Authority (ACP) issued the notice to proceed to VINCI Construction Grands Projets to build a bridge on the canal's Caribbean side.

The company has 1,274 construction days to complete the bridge. The contract was awarded in October 2012. VINCI Construction Grands Projets, a French company, made the lowest bid, below the official budget. Brazilian-Korean joint venture Odebrecht - Hyundai and the Spanish-Mexican consortium Acciona - TRADECO also almost made bids.

ACP awarded the bid for the construction of the new bridge under Article 3 of Law 28 of July 17, 2006, legislation that mandated the construction of a road bridge on the eastern side linking the two canal banks. This bridge will foster the development of Colon province.

With an air draft of 75 metres, its design is similar to that of bridges in Spain, Korea, France, China and Japan, and will be a reinforced concrete, 4.6-kilometre long, double-plane, twin pylon, cable-stayed structure with two lanes of traffic in each direction.