Panama Canal expansion nears completion

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05 April 2016

Work nears completion on Panama Canal expansion

New locks on the expanded Panama Canal will be ready for use by June this year, according to Jorge L. Quijano, CEO and administrator of the project.

At the opening ceremony of the Scale Model Manoeuvring Training Facility in March, construction of the waterway was said to be 97% complete, with the inauguration date now set for June 26.

The final phase of construction is now underway, with the final plug separating the upper chamber of the Agua Clara Locks and Gatun Lake now being removed by the Panama Canal Dredging Division.

Once fully removed, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans will meet via the canal’s new lane – completing one of the world’s largest infrastructure projects since the canal’s original construction

Following this and the final testing phase of the operation, the canal will reopen with twice its original capacity, and able to host larger, wider vessels with deeper drafts.

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Panama Canal expansion nears completion