The fourth bridge over the Panama Canal will be designed and constructed

The contract to design and construct the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal has been awarded to Sener and Greisch in collaboration with the Highway Planning and Design Institute (HDPI) by the Panama Cuarto Puente Consortium (CPCP). This project involves creating a six-lane bridge that will span the canal between Panama West and Panama City, aiming to alleviate traffic congestion in these areas. By reducing travel times, it will enhance the quality of life for over a million residents. Moreover, this construction will contribute to promoting sustainable mobility.

The key components of the fourth bridge include two intricate interchanges on either side of the canal: East (Albrook) and West (connected to the Pan-American Highway). Each interchange will feature double-decker access viaducts, totaling 2,450m in length. The main cable-stayed bridge, measuring 965m long with a primary span of 485m, will also be part of the structure. It will provide a vertical clearance of 75m to accommodate passing ships.

The design of the main bridge will be a collaborative effort between HDPI, Sener, and Greisch, with Sener also responsible for designing the interchanges and access viaducts. Upon signing the contract, Ricardo Sardinha, Global Highways Business Director at Sener, expressed his pride in participating in this ambitious project by CPCP, which presents an engineering challenge. He emphasized the multidisciplinary capacity of Sener, which is essential for the comprehensive nature of this mega-project. Sardinha also expressed satisfaction with CPCP's selection of their proposal, as it met the rigorous technical, financial, and aesthetic criteria set forth during the thorough analysis.

Sener brings relevant experience to this project, having designed similar structures such as the cable-stayed bridge of the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway in the Philippines. Their work on that project, carried out in consortium with another company, was recognized with the 2022 CEMEX Construction Award. Sener was responsible for the comprehensive design and provided technical construction assistance.