The zonula adherens (ZA), a fundamental module of epithelial cell-cell adhesion initially observed in intestinal cells, is believed to comprise a single contractile actin belt linked via E-cadherin (E-cad)-catenin to the ones of neighboring cells. Reevaluating this structure using super-resolution microscopy on intestinal samples, we show that the ZA consists of two distinct belts of adhesive complexes, a basal one with E-cad-catenin and an apical one with nectin-afadin. Contrary to the prevailing view, the major actin belt aligns with nectin and afadin, not E-cadcatenin. Genetic and physical perturbations show that afadin is essential for force transmission across cell junctions. Our work redefines the intestinal ZA architecture and prompts a reevaluation of how forces propagate within an epithelial sheet.