(With video) The first four gates for the new locks that are part of the Panama Canal Expansion Programme have arrived at the canal’s Atlantic side.
The gates were shipped from the port of Trieste, Italy, on board the semi-submersible vessel STX Sun Rise.
3100 Tons Gates
Built by subcontractor Cimolai SpA, the first four gates are 57.6 m long, 10 m wide and 30.19 m high, and weigh an average of 3100 tons. They will be installed in the middle chamber of the new locks in the Atlantic side.
The steel gates will be transported to their final position using the same self-propelled motorised wheel transporters (SPMTs) that are used to load and unload from the ship.
Steel Rolling Gates
The new locks of the expanded Panama Canal have a total of sixteen rolling gates (eight for each new lock complex). The gates are being shipped four at a time from Italy. They will be unloaded onto a temporary dock until ready for installation. Unlike the current Canal, which uses miter gates, the expanded Canal will have steel rolling gates.
Panama Canal Expansion
The Panama Canal expansion is now 62 per cent complete. It involves the construction of a third lane of traffic allowing the passage of Post-Panamax vessels, which will double the canal's capacity and have an important impact in world maritime trade.
Below a video of the gates arriving in Panama.
Picture: Arrival of the first four new steel rolling gates (photo courtesy of the Panama Canal)
