(With video) The Panama Canal expansion is moving forward to achieve its goal of enhancing the waterway's capacity and is now at a 60.4 per cent progress.
So far, both entrances of the Panama Canal are now ready for bigger ships, since the deepening and widening of the Atlantic and Pacific access channels have been completed. The dredging of Gatun Lake is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The Pacific Access Channel has reached the design depth and the dam that will divide the new channel from Miraflores Lake is under construction.
Third Set of Locks Project
The Third Set of Locks project registers a 50 per cent progress. The new lock complexes in the Pacific and Atlantic sides will feature three chambers, three water-saving basins per chamber, a lateral filling and emptying system and rolling gates.
First Lock Gates to Arrive in August
The first four new lock gates will be arriving in the country in August. Each one of the sixteen gates required will weigh an average of 3300 tons. Constructed in Italy by subcontractor Cimolai, the giant new gates will be unloaded in the Atlantic side of the Canal and rolled off the ship to a specially-constructed reception dock. Unlike the current Canal, which uses miter gates, the expanded Canal will have steel rolling gates.
Fourteen New Tug Boats
The Panama Canal is also preparing to face future operations. In June, the Panama Canal received three of the fourteen new tug boats that will enhance the Canal's current fleet. The additional capacity will allow assisting Post-Panamax vessels that will be transiting the expanded Canal, which will not use locomotives like in the existing locks.
The Panama Canal expansion involves the construction of a third lane of traffic, which will double Canal's capacity and have an important impact in world maritime trade.
Below a video of the progress made so far. The picture is a still from this video and shows an artist impression of the new Panama Canal.
