MOP presents details of fourth bridge over Canal

The Minister of Public Works, Ramón Arosemena Crespo, presented before the Board of Directors of the Panamanian Chamber of Construction (CAPAC) everything related to the megaproject of the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal. This work will improve the connectivity of more than 1.7 million residents of the West side of the country.

The fourth bridge over the Canal is an unprecedented and very important project for the country, since it includes a unique cable-stayed bridge over the Canal, which will carry the future Panama Metro line 3.

Currently, an evaluating committee is analyzing the proposals of the companies that participated in the bidding process: Consortium Panama Cuarto Puente integrated by China Comunications Construction Company Ltd/China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd; Dragados Sucursal Panamá, S.A.; Astaldi Consortium – DAELIM conformed by Astaldi S.P.A./ DAELIM Industrial Co., Ltd; and the CSCEC Fourth Bridge Consortium – CREC integrated by China State Costruction Engineering Coporration Ltd./China Railway Group Limited, in order to define who will be awarded the design and construction of this project.

Arosemena Crespo highlighted that the fourth bridge project on the Canal arises from the need to expand the capacity of the road transport network that connects both margins of the Canal, as a result of the increase in traffic.

He highlighted the progressive growth of Panama City and its developments located on the margins of the West side of the Canal (Panama Pacifico, Arraiján, Nuevo Arraiján and La Chorrera) added to the need to provide an East-West transportation alternative without crossing Panama City and the expansion of the Canal by its west margin with the construction and commissioning of the third set of locks, that were determining factors to develop this project.

During the presentation of the fourth bridge project, Arosemena Crespo said that the construction of this project will not affect the transit of ships through the Canal.

The new work is an integral project, conceived to improve the mobility of users on the West side and vice versa. For this purpose, the Ministry has incorporated other road projects such as the extension to eight lanes from the Bridge of the Americas to Arraiján, the six-lane project called the “Beach Corridor” and a new road alternative that aims to connect the beach town of Veracruz with the port of Vacamonte, in Arraiján.

Source: The Bulletin Panama