Why go
Look for these bridges when exploring the Pacific end of the canal or approaching the city by road. They show how Panama connected land routes across a channel built for ships, and each marks a different point in the passage between the locks and the sea.
What to look for
- The Bridge of the Americas crosses near Balboa at the canal's Pacific entrance.
- Centennial Bridge spans the Culebra Cut near the Pedro Miguel locks.
The full story
A canal gives ships a route between oceans, but it also divides the land along its banks. The Bridge of the Americas, opened in 1962 near Balboa, replaced a ferry crossing close to the same location. From the Pacific approach it is a useful landmark: vessels pass beneath it on their way between Panama Bay and the locks. Farther inland, Centennial Bridge opened in 2004 near the Pedro Miguel locks and the Culebra Cut. Seen on a map, the two bridges make the canal's path easier to follow. One sits near the Pacific entrance; the other crosses the inland cut where ships pass through the ridge. Earlier movable crossings were built into lock areas, including a swing bridge at Miraflores. Together these structures reveal a practical problem that followed the canal's construction: road traffic needed ways to cross a busy shipping channel without stopping the ships it was built to carry.