The Panama Canal Authority says its expansion program to add a third set of locks is 70.7 percent complete.
Several components are finished, while the construction of the new locks is just 64 percent complete.
The canal has given this summary of progress toward completion for various components of the expansion as of Nov. 30:
- Excavation of the Pacific locks access channel: 80.3 percent complete
- Dredging of the Atlantic side of the canal entrance: 100 percent complete
- Dredging of the Pacific side of the canal entrance: 100 percent complete
- Dredging of Gatun Lake and Culebra Cut: 84 percent complete
- Raising Gatun Lake's maximum operating level: 57 percent complete
The authority expects the locks on the Atlantic side to be completed in March 2015 and for the Pacific side to be completed by June 2015. The third set of locks is to be open to commercial transits in the second half of 2015.
The canal will celebrate its centennial on Aug. 15, 2014.
American Shipper
Login
.jpg)
