Tag Archives: Transportation

The Inter-American Highway

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The Inter-American Highway is the common name for the section of the Pan-American Highway that runs from Nuevo Laredo in Mexico (close to the border with the US) to Panama City in Panama. For Panamanians, it provides the link to other Central American countries, and beyond, through the Pan-American highway to the USA and Canada. With the Panama Canal, the highway helped contribute to Panama’s position as a crossroads for world trade – though, with the Darien Gap creating a barrier to direct transport links to South America, it is technically a ‘T’ junction, not a crossroads.

There had long been a desire to link the Panama Canal and its associated port facilities with other countries, for the Americans who the operated the Canal, it would reduce the risk of alternative canal proposals being built, by allowing neighboring countries to benefit from its trade links. It would also provide an alternative link to the US Canal Zone, as an alternative to sea crossings.

In 1923, with the agreement of many Central American countries, the US began a project to use their new photo-reconnaissance aircraft to conduct aerial surveys and mapping of the Central American republics. This laid the foundations for a new road, allowing engineers to plan routes and estimate bridging and tunnelling costs. However, it was World War II which spurred construction. Aware of the risks to their supply lines between the USA and the Canal Zone presented by German U-boats, construction of an overland link became a prudent precaution.

As with the final Panama Canal project, construction was led by US engineers and administrators. Many sections of the road that would become part of the Inter-American Highway had been built by individual countries independently before 1940. However, these roads linked specific cities only and were of variable quality. Progress on construction was slow, with multiple obstacles to be overcome and often very remote construction sites. Nevertheless, construction progressed rapidly, though not quickly enough to see the road finished before World War II ended in 1945.

In 1946, a route was ready for inspection by U.S. diplomats and engineers, but it was far from being the finished article, and much was only passable by four-wheel drive or tracked vehicles. It would take until 1967 until the road was completed, and even today, there is no connection beyond Panama, presenting a huge barrier to trade and prosperity in the region.

History of the Panama Canal Railway

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History of the Panama Canal Railway

The Panama Canal Railway Company links the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean across the width of Panama. Presently, it is jointly owned by the Kansas City Southern Railway and Mi-Jack Products. The railway has a fascinating history and holds a number of records.

The original Spanish trails and roads allowed some cargo and travelers to cross the Isthmus of Panama, but by the 19th century they were becoming inadequate and if Panama was not to lose out to other countries, where the journey from the Atlantic to Pacific might be further, but could be made faster and in more comfort. In the 1840′s, the trip across the isthmus was by native dugout boats up the often wild and dangerous Chagres River and by mule for the last remaining 20 miles over old and badly maintained trails. The trip could take around 5 days and was dangerous, with disease and jungle hazards to contend with. Although canal options had been under consideration for some time, it was still considered too expensive. The new railway technology however, seemed to offer the ideal solution.

At the time, Panama was part of La Gran Bolivia (with Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia) and President Bolivar commissioned a study into the possibility of building a railway from Chagres to Panama City. The report was completed in 1829 and showed that such a railway might be possible. However, the idea was shelved. Further attempts to build a railway by the Americans (in 1836) and French (in 1838) also came to nothing.

Having acquired Upper California and the Oregon Territory in 1846, the United States needed a safe, reliable and speedy link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In an attempt to address this issue, in the same year, the United States signed a treaty with Colombia under which the US would guarantee Colombian sovereignty over Panama in return for the rights to build a railroad or canal at the Panamanian isthmus. At the same time, Congress authorized a subsidy for steamships to operate from New York to Chagres and from San Francisco to Panama City. William H. Aspinwall, the businessman who had won the contract to build and operate the Pacific mail steamships (San Francisco to Panama City), conceived a plan to construct a railway across the isthmus. With the help of his partners he created the Panama Railroad Company registered in New York and raised $1,000,000.

Why do we drive on the right?

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In common with most of both the North and South America, and much of the world, here in Panama, we drive on the right hand side of the road. Though much of the Caribbean drives on the left, in the continental mainland, only Guyana and Suriname do so. However, it was not always so, it was as recently as 1943 that Panama switched from driving on the left to driving on the right.

Panama City’s tram systems, which ran during the first half of the twentieth century were all designed to run on the left (with the passenger doors on the left hand side to allow passengers to alight and dismount to the pavement), and it is possible that the 1943 change contributed to their being withdrawn from service in 1941 (though competition from other sources had already made the trams uneconomic).

There is contradictory evidence as to which side of the road the ancient Romans used, but at an old Roman quarry in England, the ruts in the road are far deeper on the left (showing that the loaded carts were leaving the quarry on that side. For most of recorded history, it was usual to drive your cart, ride your horse or even just to walk on the left hand side of the road. For most people, this left the right hand free to greet anyone passing them on the right, or, if necessary to defend themselves against any aggression.

Driving on the right hand side of the road seems to have arisen in the USA, where teamsters with large carts and teams of draft animals wanted to ride the rear animal on the left, so that the whip (usually held in the right hand) could reach all the animals. In order to check that they would clear wagons coming the other way, they wanted to drive on the right, putting their mount closest to the center of the road.

The Story of Panama City’s Trams

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The Panama City Metro system, currently under construction is not the city’s first light rail scheme. Twice before, Panama City has had tramways, while even Colon had a horse-drawn tram system and started work on an electrical system (though this was never completed and put into operation). Nowadays, the only evidence that these ever existed are old photographs, postcards and other memorabilia, none of the tram cars, rails or overhead electric supply lines remain.

The first street railway was built while Panama was still part of Colombia. On the 16th of May 1889 the Colombian Ministry of Public Works let a contract with a Colombian company. Although that company failed to complete construction, the contract was purchased by foreign investors who created the United Electric Tramways Company in London on 22 October 1892. On the 1st of October 1893 service was inaugurated on a Panama City line that was built with British financing German electrical technology, provided by Siemens. The route ran along Avenida Central, and was one of the first few electric tramways to be built in Latin America. Colombia’s civil war (known as the “Thousand Days War”) of 1899 to 1902 caused tram services to be ended.

Following independence from Colombia, and while the new canal construction was underway, the Panamanian government let a contract for a new tramway in Panama City in 1906. As before, the initial attempt to construct the new line failed and the contract was put up for bid once more. The new owners were the Panama Tramways Company, incorporated in New Jersey. In 1912, construction resumed, and the new narrow-gauge (42”) opened on August 1st 1913. By 1916, a visiting wrier was able to note that Panama City:

“…has two light and power plants, a gas plant and an excellent tramway service which communicates with the towns of Ancon and Balboa on the Canal Zone, as well as with the suburban district of the Sabanas; one of the street car branches runs to the Balboa docks at the terminus of the Canal where the great steamers arrive.”

Trams continued to run of Panama City’s streets, tough subject to increased competition from cars and buses. Panama City’s last streetcar ran on the night of Saturday 31st May 1941.