The Atlantic Bridge project, also known as the Third Bridge Over the Canal, is being developed near the Atlantic Ocean entrance of the Panama Canal. This $600M project involves the construction of a 1-kilometer cable-stayed bridge, along with access viaducts, road connections, and pedestrian and bicycle lanes. Once completed, the bridge will allow vehicles to cross the Panama Canal even when the locks are in operation.

One of the World’s Longest Concrete Cable-Stayed Bridges with Bartec

With a 530-meter central span and a vertical clearance of 75 meters above sea level to accommodate Post-Panamax ships, the four-lane Atlantic Bridge ranks among the longest cable-stayed bridges globally. It features two delta-shaped pylons, each reaching a height of 212.5 meters.

Dextra Latin America, based in Panama City, contributed to the project by supplying its Bartec rebar splicing solutions for the bridge’s concrete reinforcement. Over 350,000 Bartec couplers were delivered to VINCI Construction Grands Projets for reinforcing the bridge’s pile cages, pile caps, and pylons, supporting bars up to #14 (dia. 43 mm.). Additionally, three Dextra Bartec machine sets were used for on-site bar end preparation.

To prevent steel congestion in heavily reinforced areas, over 50,000 Dextra Headed Bars were used in the pile caps.

The Atlantic Bridge is now in its final construction phase and is expected to open in early 2019.