Editing Suez Canal (section)

=== 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 {{cvt|78|km|0}} out of {{cvt|193|km|0}} (40%). From north to south, they are Port Said bypass (entrances) {{cvt|36.5|km|0}}, Ballah bypass & anchorage {{cvt|9|km|0}}, Timsah bypass {{cvt|5|km|0}}, and the Deversoir bypass (northern end of the Great Bitter Lake) {{convert|27.5|km|0}}. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emdb.gov.eg/suezcanal/traffic.aspx|title=Traffic system|access-date=8 February 2013|publisher=Egyptian Maritime Data Bank (EMDB)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323104619/http://www.emdb.gov.eg/suezcanal/traffic.aspx|archive-date=23 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKBN0G30HY20140803|title=Egypt awards Suez hub project to consortium that includes army: sources|first=Stephen Kalin and Yasmine|last=Saleh|newspaper=Reuters|date=3 August 2014|access-date=7 August 2014|archive-date=8 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808033657/http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKBN0G30HY20140803|url-status=dead}}</ref> and began the construction of a new canal section from {{cvt|60|to|95|km}} combined with expansion and deep digging of the other {{cvt|37|km}} of the canal.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.suezcanal.gov.eg/sc.aspx?show=69 |title=New Suez Canal |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=19 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119082131/http://www.suezcanal.gov.eg/sc.aspx?show=69 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This will allow navigation in both directions simultaneously in the {{convert|72|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} central section of the canal. These extensions were formally opened on 6 August 2015 by President Al-Sisi.<ref name="SuezExpansion"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/05/egypt-build-new-suez-canal|title=Egypt to build new Suez canal|first=Patrick|last=Kingsley|date=5 August 2014|work=The Guardian|location=London|access-date=16 December 2016|archive-date=24 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224142234/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/05/egypt-build-new-suez-canal|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-33800076 |title=Egypt launches Suez Canal expansion |work=[[BBC News]] |date=6 August 2015 |access-date=7 August 2015 |archive-date=6 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150806213645/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-33800076 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Capesize bulk carrier at Suez Canal Bridge.JPG|Post-deepening, a [[capesize]] [[bulk carrier]] approaches the [[Suez Canal Bridge|Friendship Bridge]]
File:Bittersee Suezkanal.jpg|Northbound convoy waits in the [[Great Bitter Lake]] as southbound convoy passes, October 2014
</gallery>