A Bridge for all Centuries

This article describes the design and construction of the Centennial Bridge, which will carry six lanes of traffic across the Panama Canal. This cable-stayed bridge of cast-in-place concrete features a main span of 420 m, the longest such span for this type of bridge in the Western Hemisphere. This long main span was designed to meet the owner's requirement that no piers be placed in the water. The design process for the Centennial Bridge was unique and aggressive, incorporating concepts from the design/bid/build method, the design/build method and the fast-track design process. Because no disruption of canal traffic was permitted at any time, the bridge was constructed using the balanced-cantilever method. The bridge construction was completed in August 2004.