Second Panama Canal Crossing Nears Completion

摘要

A century ago, laborers in Panama struggled against deadly landslides as they excavated the 14 km long Cule-bra Cut, the most difficult portion of the great Panama Canal. Today, a major cable-stayed bridge is being erected across the canal, founded partly in the same treacherous subsurface material that vexed the canal's builders. Until now motorists wishing to cross the Panama Canal by road have had only one option: the Bridge of the Americas, a 1962 steel arch structure that was later widened from three to four lanes but still lacks sufficient capacity to handle the heavy traffic that moves in and out of Panama City every day. The new, 1,052 m long bridge is scheduled for substantial completion in August, providing a much-needed alternative route.