Panama Canal Expansion May Face Added Delays

According to Reuters, Panama will know in a few months whether the long-awaited expansion of its famous shipping canal will meet the 2014 deadline for completion or face further delays.

“In the next few months we will be able to say with more certainty when the work will be completed,” Alberto Aleman, who heads the Panama Canal Authority, told Reuters late Friday on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia.

Construction is being handled by a consortium led by Spain’s Sacyr and Italy’s Impregilo as well as the Belgian company Jan de Nul and Panama’s Constructora Urbana.

Expansion of the 50-mile (80-km) canal will help boost economic growth in Panama, as the government will bring in more revenue from heavier traffic of commodities and other bulky goods.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, April 16, 2012; Image: pancanal