El Ferdan Railway Bridge
The El Ferdan Railway Bridge is a swing bridge that spans the western shipping lane of the Suez Canal near Ismailia, Egypt. It is the longest swing bridge in the world, with a span of 1,100 feet (340 m).
The parallel New Suez Canal was excavated in 2014/2015 a short distance to the east but without a bridge spanning it. Without a second bridge, the railway across El Ferdan bridge is a dead end.
Initially, a plan was in place to construct a new railway tunnel in the Ismailia region (and another near Port Said) is planned in order to reconnect the Sinai to the rest of Egypt’s rail network.
However, Kamel ElWazir, who was - at that time - the head of the Egyptian Armed Forces - Engineering corps, announced that due to high costs the plans for a new tunnel would be scrapped and that the Engineering Corps would seek other alternatives including moving the existing bridge to a narrow section of the canal at El-Qantara.
The El Ferdan Railway Bridge can be downloaded via the DLS or via the content manager.
