Panama Canal Expansion Nears Halfway Point, says ACP
Five years after breaking ground, progress on the Panama Canal expansion is nearing the halfway point, according to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). ACP estimated that, as of Aug. 31, the expansion was 44.5 percent completed. "The Panama Canal Expansion Program is moving forward at a good pace," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge Quijano.
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ACP estimated that design and construction of the new locks is about one-third done. The locks gates are being fabricated in Italy and the first four gates should be shipped to Panama during the first quarter of 2013, ACP said. The last four gates should be in Panama in the first quarter of 2014. Concurrently the valves are being fabricated in Korea and delivery of valve components to Panama has been ongoing for some time. The valves are currently being incorporated into the lock structure, said ACP. Flooding of the locks and final commissioning is planned to start in September 2014.
Specific progress on each aspect of expansion is estimated by ACP as follows:
| Design and Construction of the Third Set of Locks | 31% |
| Pacific Access Channel Phase 1 | 100% |
| Pacific Access Channel Phase 2 | 100% |
| Pacific Access Channel Phase 3 | 100% |
| Pacific Access Channel Phase 4 | 67% |
| Dredging of the Pacific Entrance Navigational Channel | 92% |
| Dredging for the Deepening and Widening of Gatun Lake and Deepening of Culebra Cut | 76% |
| Dredging of the Canal Atlantic Entrance | 98% |
| Raising Gatun Lake Maximum Operation Level | 8% |
| Total Expansion Progress | 44.5% |