Suez Canal. Engraving of the opening procession of ships in the Suez Canal in 1869. The canal was built by French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps (1805-94). Work began on 25 April 1859 and it was formally opened in November 1869. The Canal crosses the Suez isthmus, Egypt, to link the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. It is about 163 kilometres long, and incorporates three natural lakes. The Canal is restricted to a single lane of traffic, although there are bays for ships to pass by each other. The Canal's original dimensions were a bottom width of 22 metres (m), a surface width of 58m, and a depth of 8m, though it has since been modified.