Suez Canal Operation

Suez Canal Operation

Before August 2015, the canal was too narrow for free two-way traffic, so ships had to pass in convoys and use bypasses. The bypasses were 78 km (48 mi) out of 193 km (120 mi) (40%). From north to south, they are Port Said bypass (entrances) 36.5 km (23 mi), Ballah bypass & anchorage 9 km (6 mi), Timsah bypass 5 km (3 mi), and the Deversoir bypass (northern end of the Great Bitter Lake) 27.5 kilometres (17 mi). The bypasses were completed in 1980.

Typically, it would take a ship 12 to 16 hours to transit the canal. The canal's 24-hour capacity was about 76 standard ships.

In August 2014, Egypt chose a consortium that includes the Egyptian army and global engineering firm Dar Al-Handasah to develop an international industrial and logistics hub in the Suez Canal area, and began the construction of a new canal section from 60 to 95 km (37 to 59 mi) combined with expansion and deep digging of the other 37 km (23 mi) of the canal. This will allow navigation in both directions simultaneously in the 72-kilometre-long (45 mi) central section of the canal. These extensions were formally opened on 6 August 2015 by President Al-Sisi.

Suez Canal Convoy Sailing

Since the canal does not cater to unregulated two-way traffic, all ships transit in convoys on regular times, scheduled on a 24-hour basis. Each day, a single northbound convoy starts at 04:00 EET from Suez. At dual lane sections, the convoy uses the eastern route. Synchronised with this convoy's passage is the southbound convoy. It starts at 03:30 EET from Port Said and so passes the Northbound convoy in the two-lane section.

Suez Canal Crossings

Suez Canal from north to south, the crossings are:

• The El Nasr pontoon bridge (31.2285°N 32.3042°E), connecting Port Said to Port Fuad. Opened in 2016, 420 m (1,380 ft) length.
• The Abanoub Gerges pontoon bridge (30.8436°N 32.3168°E), 1.5 km (1 mi) north of the Suez Canal Bridge
• The Suez Canal Bridge (30.828248°N 32.317572°E), also called the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge, a high-level road bridge at El Qantara. In Arabic, al qantara means "arch". Opened in 2001, it has a 70-metre (230 ft) clearance over the canal and was built with assistance from the Japanese government and by Kajima.
• El Ferdan Railway Bridge (30.657°N 32.334°E) 20 km (12 mi) north of Ismailia (30°35′N 32°16′E) was completed in 2001 and is the longest swing-span bridge in the world, with a span of 340 m (1100 ft). The previous bridge was destroyed in 1967 during the Arab-Israeli conflict. The current bridge is no longer functional due to the expansion of the Suez Canal, as the parallel shipping lane completed in 2015 just east of the bridge lacks a structure spanning it. However, plans surfaced in 2017 to build a new bridge spanning the parallel canal and converting the old single track railway on the Ferdan to a double track, which as of October 2023, were near completion.
• The Ahmed el-Mansy pontoon bridge (30.6054°N 32.3254°E), a pair of pontoons bridging both channels
• The Taha Zaki Abdullah pontoon bridge (30.4729°N 32.3502°E), a pair of pontoons bridging both channels
• Pipelines taking fresh water under the canal to Sinai, about 57 km (35 mi) north of Suez, at 30°27.3′N 32°21.0′E.
• Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel (30°5′9″N 32°34′32″E) south of the Great Bitter Lake (30°20′N 32°23′E) was built in 1983. Because of leakage problems, a new water-tight tunnel was built inside the old one from 1992 to 1995.
• The Ahmed Omar Shabrawy pontoon bridge (30.0453°N 32.5744°E)
• The Suez Canal overhead powerline crossing (29.996°N 32.583°E) was built in 1999.

A railway on the west bank runs parallel to the canal for its entire length.

The five pontoon bridges were opened between 2016 and 2019. They are designed to be movable, and can be completely rotated against the banks of the canal to allow shipping through, or else individual sections can be moved to create a narrower channel.

Six new tunnels for cars and trains are also planned across the canal. Currently the Ahmed Hamdi is the only tunnel connecting Suez to the Sinai.

Suez Canal Overview

Suez Canal Coordinates: 30°42′18″N 32°20′39″E

Suez Canal Length: 193.3 km (120.1 miles)
Suez Canal Maximum Boat Beam: 77.5 m (254 ft 3 in)
Suez Canal Maximum Boat Draft: 20.1 m (66 ft)
Suez Canal Locks: None
Suez Canal Navigation Authority: Suez Canal Authority
Suez Canal Construction Began: 25 April 1859
Suez Canal Date Completed: 17 November 1869
Suez Canal Start Point: Port Said
Suez Canal End Point: Suez Port

Suez Canal Route Map

km       W E

           Mediterranean Sea
           Approaches (Southward convoy waiting area)
0.0     Port Said

           Martyr Mujand Abanoub Girgis Bridge
           Al Salam Bridge
51.5   Eastern lane: New Suez Canal (2015)

           El Ferdan Railway Bridge (under construction)
76.5   Ismaïlia, SCA headquarters

           Tunnel Ismailia
           New Ismala
           Lake Timsah

           Maadia Al Qantarah Street
95.0   Deversoir

           Great Bitter Lake
           Small Bitter Lake

           Ahmed Hamdi Northern Tunnel
           Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel
           Martyr Ahmed El-Mansy Pontoon Bridge
           Overhead powerline

162    Suez, Suez Port
           Gulf of Suez (Northward convoy waiting area)
           Red Sea