The Panama Canal expansion project will double the capacity of the Panama Canal by 2015 by creating a new lane of traffic and allowing more and larger ships to transit.
The program consists of the construction of two new sets of locks – one on the Pacific and one on the Atlantic side of the Canal. Each lock will have three chambers and each chamber will have three water reutilization basins.
The program also entails the widening and deepening of existing navigational channels in Gatun Lake and the deepening of Culebra Cut.
In order to open a new 6.1 km-long access channel to connect the Pacific locks and the Culebra Cut, four dry excavation projects will be executed.
Related:
Panama Canal Expansion Program Update – July 2014