Suez Canal Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Suez Canal Bridge, also known as the Shohada 25 January Bridge or the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge, is a road bridge crossing the Suez Canal
at El Qantara. The Arabic "al qantara" means "the bridge". The bridge links the continents of Africa
and Asia
.
ese government. The contractor was PentaOcean
Construction.
The Japanese grant, accounting for 60% of the construction cost (or 13.5 billion yen), was agreed to during the visit of then-President Mubarak
to Japan in March 1995, as part of a larger project to develop the Sinai Peninsula
. Egypt bore the remaining 40% (9 billion yen). The bridge opened in October 2001.
The bridge, which has a 70 metres (229.7 ft) clearance over the canal and is 3.9 kilometres (2.4 mi) long, consists of a 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) cable-stayed main span and two 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) long approach spans.
The height of the two main pylons supporting the main span is 154 metres (505.2 ft) each. The towers were designed in the shape of Pharaonic obelisk
s.
The clearance under the bridge is 70 meters, which defines, therefore, the admissible maximum height of 68 mabove the waterline (Suezmax
) of ships that can pass through the Suez Canal.
, including other projects such as the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel
under the Suez Canal (completed in 1983), the El Ferdan Railway Bridge
, and the Suez Canal overhead line crossing
.
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
at El Qantara. The Arabic "al qantara" means "the bridge". The bridge links the continents of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Design and construction
The bridge was built with assistance from the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese government. The contractor was PentaOcean
PentaOcean
is a major Japanese construction firm. It specializes in marine works and land reclamation. It is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Osaka Stock Exchange, and Nagoya Stock Exchange as ticker 1893.It originated from Mizuno Gumi in 1896 in Hiroshima Prefecture, and later renamed to the current...
Construction.
The Japanese grant, accounting for 60% of the construction cost (or 13.5 billion yen), was agreed to during the visit of then-President Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
to Japan in March 1995, as part of a larger project to develop the Sinai Peninsula
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
. Egypt bore the remaining 40% (9 billion yen). The bridge opened in October 2001.
The bridge, which has a 70 metres (229.7 ft) clearance over the canal and is 3.9 kilometres (2.4 mi) long, consists of a 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) cable-stayed main span and two 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) long approach spans.
The height of the two main pylons supporting the main span is 154 metres (505.2 ft) each. The towers were designed in the shape of Pharaonic obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
s.
The clearance under the bridge is 70 meters, which defines, therefore, the admissible maximum height of 68 mabove the waterline (Suezmax
Suezmax
Suezmax is a naval architecture term for the largest ship measurements capable of transiting the Suez Canal, and is almost exclusively used in reference to tankers. Since the canal has no locks, the only serious limiting factors are draft , and height due to the Suez Canal Bridge...
) of ships that can pass through the Suez Canal.
Significant developments in the region
The Suez Canal Bridge was part of a major drive to develop the areas surrounding the Suez CanalSuez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, including other projects such as the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel
Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel
The Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel is an automobile tunnel under the Suez Canal. It has two lanes of traffic, one in each direction, and connects the Asian Sinai Peninsula to the town of Suez on the African mainland. It was originally constructed as a shield tunnel by the British government in 1983. Shortly...
under the Suez Canal (completed in 1983), the El Ferdan Railway Bridge
El Ferdan Railway Bridge
The El Ferdan Railway Bridge is a swing bridge that spans the Suez Canal near Ismailia, Egypt. It is the longest swing bridge in the world, with a span of 1100 ft...
, and the Suez Canal overhead line crossing
Suez Canal overhead line crossing
The Suez Canal overhead line crossing is an important electrical power line built across the Suez Canal in 1998, located in the city of Suez, Suez Governorate, Egypt...
.