bridge of the americas the panama canal
With an elevation of 364 ft. (118 m) and a width of 5,007 ft. (1,669 m), the Bridge of the Americas connects the two landmasses separated by the Panama Canal.
Built by the United States and costing $20 million, the Bridge of the Americas forms an integral part of the Interamerican Highway connecting North and South America. Construction on the bridge began on October 12, 1959, and took nearly two and a half years. Before its completion, and for almost 30 years, ferry service was the primary means of connecting North and South America. Even today, sixty years after service ended, you can still see remnants of the piers on both sides of the canal. The inauguration took place on October 12, 1962.
While currently referred to as the Bridge of the Americas, it was first named the Thatcher Ferry Bridge, after Mr. Maurice H. Thatcher, who was responsible for introducing the legislation that launched the ferry service.
You'll find a lookout area on the bridge's western side and just off to the right side of the road. From here, one can get a reasonably good view of the bridge in its entirety, with Ancon Hill and Panama City in the distant background; I took the above picture there. If you look north, you can see more of the Panama Canal, including Miraflores Locks and Agua Clara Locks. There is no other lookout area near the bridge, and you are not permitted to walk across it or stop while driving over it. For an elevated, more distant view of the bridge, you can visit Ancon Hill. You can also see the bridge from the Amador Causeway.
For more information regarding the Bridge of the Americas, we recommend that you visit the Panama Canal Museum in Casco Antiguo.
No public buses service the lookout area. You need to hire a taxi.