VINCI Construction delivers the Atlantic Bridge in Panama

5 August 2019 - 8:30 am - Events - Panamá

· An extraordinary engineering structure that posed many technical challenges
· Strong synergies between VINCI Construction companies

On Friday, 2 August 2019, Panamanian President, Laurentino Cortizo, and Panama Canal Administrator, Jorge Quijano, unveiled the Atlantic Bridge in Colón. This exceptional 4.6 km structure, including 3.1 km of exceptional engineering structures, located 3 km from the Gatun and Agua Clara locks, creates a new link between the North American and South American continents that can be used whether the canal locks are in operation or not.

Due to the adversity of the Panamanian tropical climate on the Atlantic side, a technical solution entirely made of reinforced concrete was chosen by the Panama Canal Authority rather than a metal structure. The central span (the bridge section that spans the canal), consisting of 530 metres of concrete deck located 75 metres above sea level, constitutes a world record for a cable-stayed bridge, while its two towers dominate the waters of the Atlantic Ocean at over 210 metres high.

In order for work to be carried out without interrupting the transit of container ships, four innovative form travellers, each weighing 240 tonnes, were used to build the central span.

Thanks to a strong and shared safety culture, the work was carried out without any serious accidents.

The construction of this bridge relied heavily on the wide-ranging expertise of the Group's subsidiaries: VINCI Construction Grands Projets for the construction of the bridge, Soletanche Bachy subsidiary Rodio Swissboring Panamá for the deep foundations and Freyssinet for the installation of the stays.

 

Download infographic (160 Kb)

 

 

About VINCI Construction
VINCI Construction, a global player and European leader, is active on five continents, with more than 70,000 employees and 700 companies generating revenue of €14.2 billion in 2018. Structured according to an integrated model, the company has the capacity to intervene over the entire life cycle of a structure (finance, design, construction, maintenance) in eight sectors: buildings, functional structures, transport infrastructure, hydraulic engineering, renewable and nuclear energy, the environment, oil and gas sector, and mines.
www.vinci-construction.com

 

About VINCI
VINCI is a global player in concessions, energy and construction, employing 280,000 people in more than 120 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, we are committed to operating in an environmentally, socially responsible and ethical manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. Based on that approach, VINCI’s ambition is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees, partners and society in general.