Offshore Pilot Quarterly - Commentary on Matters Offshore

Originally published September 2005

The second bridge to be built over the Panama Canal at a cost of $100,000 million, and called the Centenary Bridge, is a fine sight. It promises to contribute significantly to both the residential and commercial development of the former Canal Zone, once a fiefdom of the United States of America. The problem is that the gleaming new suspension bridge is close to an old US military weapons testing range which the Panamanian government says remains unsafe because the US military has failed to meet its obligation to clear the area of any potential unexploded bombs, mortar rounds and artillery shells. The presence of access roads and plans for low income housing near the Centenary Bridge makes the situation a precarious one and talks continue between both countries.