The Bridge of the Americas is a wheeled vehicle bridge, with a wide shoulder for bicycles and pedestrians, but there are no shoulder ramps, so bicycle access is not very comfortable and appears dangerous due to the shared path with vehicles on both sides. It offers panoramic views of the canal, all the way to Miraflores. It crosses the Panama Canal at its Pacific entrance and connects the towns of Balboa (in Panama City) to the northeast and the district of Arraiján to the southwest.
It was inaugurated on October 12, 1962, occupying the same location as the ferry it replaced. The United States authorities attempted to name it Thatcher Bridge, but the Panamanian Legislative Assembly decided on the name "Bridge of the Americas," officially designated by resolution of October 2, 1962, because it not only connected Panama's capital city with the interior of the country by land, but also connected the continental landmasses of North and Central America with South America, separated by the Panama Canal. The bridge has a modillion arch design and is 1,654 m long.