How the Suez Canal Works: A Sea-Level Shortcut Between Seas

The Suez Canal is a sea-level, lockless canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea (Port Said) to the Red Sea (Port Suez/Gulf of Suez). It eliminates the ~6,000 nm voyage around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

Physical Characteristics

• Length: 193.3 km (120.1 mi)
• Width: 205–225 m (673–738 ft) at surface; 60 m (197 ft) at bottom
• Depth: 24 m (79 ft) maintained (deepened from original 8 m)
• No locks: Mediterranean and Red Sea mean sea levels differ by <0.5 m; tidal currents manage flow.

Transit Process

1. Arrival & Inspection: Ships anchor at Port Said (Med) or Port Suez (Red), board Suez Canal Authority (SCA) pilots.
2. Convoy System: Ships transit in northbound/southbound convoys (typically 3/day each) to manage single-lane sections.
3. Transit Time: 11–16 hours average.
4. Passing Bays: Ballah Bypass, Great Bitter Lake, Timsah Lake allow convoys to pass.
5. Exit: Pilots disembark at opposite terminus.

Operations and Economics

• Tolls: Based on Suez Canal Net Tonnage (SCNT), vessel type, cargo. ~$300k–$800k for large tankers/containerships.
• Traffic: ~19,000 ships/year (2023); 1.3 billion tonnes cargo.
• Expansion: 2015 "New Suez Canal" added 35 km parallel channel, enabling two-way traffic for 72 km, reducing wait times.

Constraints

• Size limits: Max draft 20.1 m (66 ft); max beam 77.5 m (254 ft) — excludes ULCC/VLCC tankers, largest containerships.
• Weather: High winds, sandstorms can halt transit.
• Geopolitics: Closures (1956–57, 1967–75) show vulnerability.

The canal is a masterpiece of 19th-century engineering, continuously modernized, remaining indispensable to global trade.