GO:0043297

The formation of an apical junction, a functional unit located near the cell apex at the points of contact between epithelial cells composed of the tight junction, the zonula adherens junction and the desmosomes, by the aggregation, arrangement and bonding together of its constituents. [GOC:go_curators, PMID:10854689, PMID:14729475, PMID:15196556]