Bridge of the Americas

8.9429388888889 - 79.564922222222Koordinaten: 8 ° 56 ' 34.6 "N, 79 ° 33' 53.7 " W

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Panama Canal

The Puente de las Américas, formerly often called Thatcher Ferry Bridge to the German Bridge of the Americas ( North and South America) is a road bridge in Panama. It spans the Panama Canal and connects the capital Panama City with the western part of the country. It is typically used only in motor vehicles.

Until the construction of the Puente Centenario 2004, she was the only fixed road link between North and South America, and thus an important part of the Pan-American Highway.

Location

The bridge crosses the southern Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal at Balboa, a suburb of Panama City. The formed by the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal actual beginning is just over 6 km inland. One coming from the capital expressway is already being made around 600 m from the shore at 20 m height above sea level on the long access ramp that rises above a busy away with oil tanks green slope to the actual bridge. On the opposite, western side, a ramp leads to the m in about 30 height above the channel beginning expressway to Arraiján and on to the western parts of the country.

The bridge is located approximately at the point where previously the Thatcher Ferry was.

Name

The former Thatcher Ferry was named after Maurice H. Thatcher, a former head of the civil administration of the Canal Zone. Maurice H. Thatcher was Chief of the Department of Civil Administration of the Canal Zone on 13 May 1910 to 8 August 1913, a time in which he varied recognition by the local population earned. As a Member of the House of Representatives of the United States from 1922 to 1933 he sat on for Affairs of Panama and brought laws to accommodate the later became known under his name and ferry service to build the road to a Arraiján. Under John F. Kennedy, a law was in 1961, during construction of the bridge, decided to call Thatcher Ferry Bridge. The filler, with the Kennedy signed the law, was later handed over to Maurice H. Thatcher as a sign of recognition. Is noteworthy, however, that the bridge was not named immediately after him, but after the ferry, which was replaced by the bridge.

However, the American name was not popular among the Panamanians who preferred to call the bridge Puente de las Américas. On 2 October 1962, just 10 days before the opening ceremonies, the National Assembly of Panama decided therefore that the bridge the name Puente de las Américas and only carry this name should be used.

At the opening ceremonies of the representatives of the U.S. Government Under Secretary of State George W. Ball used this name, not as such, but explained that it really amounts to a bridge of the Americas at the bridge on the Pan American Highway.

In practice, however, the name change took place only in 1979, when the U.S. ended control over the Panama Canal Zone.

Description

The Puente de las Américas is a total of 1654 m ( 5425 ft) long and 15 m wide. She has four lanes and a narrow walkway is ever, but used almost exclusively by motor vehicles, which are guided over long highways to her. The occasional cyclist on long trips, the drive over the bridge, create substantial obstacles to the general, dense traffic. The narrow walkways between the outer, inwardly curved handrail and guardrail of lanes serve only to maintenance personnel of the bridge.

The of a large arch spanned the main opening in the middle of the channel has a wingspan of a total of 343.81 m ( 1128 ft) and a clear height of 61.3 m (201 ft) above MHW ( Mean High Water ). The apex of the steel arch is 117 m ( 384 ft) above sea level.

The bridge seems to consist of a large, uniform steel truss structure, the bulges in the middle of a large sheet. But technically it is a cantilever bridge, whose large, consisting of steel truss Gerber beam from both sides extend 42 m into the main port and carry a 259 m long fake arch construction. With this construction, the large, medium sheet pressing its outward horizontal forces are neutralized by the two acting as a tension band heavy steel beams which are mounted below the suspended lying below the roadway ( Langer shear bar ). This sheet design is closing on both sides, where the road surface and the horizontal tie beam incident on the oblique steel girder of the bridge arch. The Gerber beam interfere with their main weight high above the entrance to the channel to the concrete pillars that are protected by the man-made islands in the channel before collisions with ships. The outer ends of the Gerber beam resting on the next landward each pair of supports. This is followed by the access ramps that exist on the eastern side of seven steel truss bridges and on the western side of four such bridges, all of which are elevated on concrete piers. All concrete piers are founded on the bedrock, especially the seemingly standing on the islands piers.

The Puente de las Américas was also the time of its by no means the world 's longest, largest and tallest bridge. The inside dimensions as well as their design height were, however, a few meters higher than the other cantilever bridges.

The costs amounted to approximately 20 million U.S. dollars and have been completely supported by the United States since the bridge was in the former Panama Canal Zone, a claimed 1903-1979 by the U.S. as territory and administered territory, which in this period de facto not to territory of Panama belonged.

History

First thoughts on a bridge or a tunnel in 1913 were hired before the opening of the Panama Canal. Also in 1929 and 1937, the project was discussed, in 1941 there were even first negotiations with a planning office. 1942, the swing bridge was completed in Miraflores Locks, which was not intended as a substitute for a permanent bridge, but the existence of which made ​​it seem less urgent planning for a fixed bridge. In connection with an agreement on military installations, the U.S. committed against Panama to build a bridge or a tunnel after the end of World War II. The project was then discussed again and again, but without concrete results. In 1954 it was decided to give a bridge in preference to a tunnel. The following year, new cost estimates have been provided. In Remon - Eisenhower Treaty of 1955 President Rémon again received the commitment of the U.S. to build a bridge. A year later, Eisenhower was on a visit to Panama arrangements to first measures; In 1957, commissioned to preliminary plans Sverdrup Parcel & Associates. In 1958 she received the order for the complete planning.

On December 23, 1958, the groundbreaking ceremony took place as part of a larger ceremony by the President of Panama, De la Guardia and the Governor of the Panama Canal Zone, Wiliam E. Potter. The actual construction began in September 1959. The following year, John F. Beasley Construction Co. received from Dallas, Texas the contract for the steel construction work for which the steel was shipped from West Germany. On 16 May 1962, the arch was formed through the assembly of a 21 m long steel beam. The ceremonial opening of the bridge took place on 12 October 1962 at the now 92 -year-old Maurice H. Thatcher cut the ribbon.