The construction of the 4th bridge over the Panama Canal reached a new stage with continuous filling of concrete at the base of its main towers.
The operation was extended for about 30 hours and required more than a hundred workers to coordinate.
The Ministry of Public Works (MOP), by means of Panama’s 4th Bridge Consortium, put 1,600 cubic meters of concrete at the head of the pylons (4) of this main architecture.
The quantity of material used approximately equals the load of more than 600 concrete mixer trucks.
The operation was continuous to secure the quality and resistance of the foundation.
The head is made up of 20 piles and a steel box of about 770 tons, components that will support the main concrete tower as “H,” which will reach about 186 meters above sea level.
“This job is continuous 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have been preparing about 28 days to fulfill each stage set out in the schedule,” said Michael Pascual, manager of West Main Tower Field (M4).
A total of 124 partners have been involved with the project’s subcontractors and specialized equipment and have worked under security measures and technical controls to complete this phase.
The concrete filling represents an advance with the construction of the main and tiered bridge, one of the central parts of the project designed to improve mobility between Panama City and the West.
The main structure will have a length of 965 m and will have two towers about 186 m high and a navigation gauge of 75 m, enabling the safe passage of neopanamax ships across the Panama Canal.
The project also includes 2.5 km of access Viaducts in the East and West sectors as well as 6 vehicles lanes - 3 each way - and a pedestrian sidewalk for users.
The work is composed of five main components: the airy bridge, the Viaducts with East and West access and two large road interchangers.
The West Exchanger will connect with the Pan American Highway and President Roberto F. Chiari Highway.
The East Exchanger, situated at Albrook, will allow for its connection with the Amiste Avenue, the Albrook Transport Terminal, the North Corridor, Omar Torrijos Avenue and Ascanio Arosemena Avenue.
According to the MOP, this will be the largest road interchanger in Panama and Central America.
The 4th bridge over the Panama Canal is considered to be one of the most important infrastructure works currently under way in the country.
The project aims at improving road connectivity, reducing congestion at the Puente de las Américas and facilitating a shift between the capital and communities of the west.
