A consortium of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and its subsidiary China Harbour Engineering Company has secured a $1.42bn contract to build the fourth Panama Canal bridge.

CCCC is owned by the Government of China and is leading the consortium, which also includes Italian firm Astaldi, Dragados’ Panamanian subsidiary, and Korea-based Daelim.

Other partners include the China State Construction Engineering Corporation and China Railways Group.

CCCC won the contract in June but it was postponed after competing firms appealed against the decision.

“As per the preliminary design, the 3km-long cable-stayed bridge will have a main span of 540m and a clearance of nearly 80m over the navigation channel of the canal.”

Irish consulting engineering firm Roughan & O’Donovan provided the preliminary bridge design and environmental engineering services for the fourth Panama Canal bridge, including approach viaducts and access roads on the Pacific side.

As per the preliminary design, the 3km-long cable-stayed bridge will have a main span of 540m and a clearance of nearly 80m over the navigation channel of the canal.

The bridge will also feature two inverted Y-shaped towers, three lanes in each direction for transit vehicles and two monorail lanes dedicated to a metro line service.

Plans also include a separate bicycle and pedestrian path.

Designed to link west Panama with Panama city, the bridge is expected to increase traffic and freight transport capacity and improve vessel navigability through the canal.

The bridge will be built north of the Bridge of the Americas, near the Balboa port installations.

Construction is slated to commence this year and will take three years to complete.