About
The Bridge of the Americas, also known as the Puente de las Américas or the Thatcher Ferry Bridge, is a cantilever bridge in Panama City. It spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, carrying traffic across the water that links the two oceans.
What to expect
The bridge is a practical landmark as much as a destination. It is notable as the first bridge to span the Panama Canal, and it is often cited as a link between North and South America, since the Panamanian isthmus joins the two continents. Visitors interested in engineering, the canal, or the city's waterfront will find it worth a look.
- Type: a cantilever bridge over the canal's Pacific entrance
- Built: 1962
- Also called: Puente de las Américas, Thatcher Ferry Bridge
Around the bridge
The bridge sits in Panama City, the country's capital, so it pairs naturally with a wider walk or drive through the city and along the canal. Because it is a working crossing, the most rewarding way to take it in is often to look at it from the water's edge or the surrounding roads, watching ships and traffic pass beneath.
A visit suits people who enjoy seeing infrastructure up close and who want to understand how the canal shapes the city around it.