Source: Ocean Intelligence
December 15th 2014
The Panama Canal’s expansion reached a milestone on Monday with the installation of the first gate for the new locks.
The gate was installed on the Atlantic side of the waterway, said the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).
“We see how the new locks are rapidly taking shape as we move towards the successful completion of the project,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano.
The gate will be located in lock head two in the new locks on the Atlantic side, ACP said in a statement. The installation of the gate began early on Monday morning and is expected to be completed over the next couple of days. The steel gates are moved using self-propelled motorized wheel transporters (SPMTs) with more than 400 wheels each.
The gate currently being installed is 10 meters wide, 30.19 in height and weighs 3,285 tons. In total, the new locks will have 16 rolling gates, eight in the Pacific and eight in the Atlantic.
The Panama Canal’s expansion is so far 84% complete. In June, ACP said the Canal’s new set of locks will be operational by the January 2016 deadline.