The famous Panama Canal joins the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean and
is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Its capacity has now been
doubled, with the completion of a major expansion project. Following eight
years of excavation, a third set of locks has been added.
By
2011, 37% of shipping traffic was unable to pass through the canal because of
size, and the volume of shipping that did pass through was expected to continue
a steady rise. Global demand necessitated the construction of this new, high
tech passage.
The
expansion program includes the construction of new locks in the Atlantic and
Pacific, the excavation of new access channels and the widening of existing
channels. It also includes deepening of the navigation channels in the Gaillard
Cut and Gatún Lake, and the raising of Gatún Lake’s maximum operating level.
Now
open to traffic, the canal as a whole will be able to handle the projected rise
in volume to 2025 and beyond. This mega-project eases numerous burdens on the
shipping industry, as well as creating huge numbers of jobs among the
Panamanian people – generating enough wealth to reduce poverty in the country
by almost 30%. However, critics of the project contend that there are serious
environmental issues.*
Reference
Panama Canal expansion project, Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_expansion_project
Accessed 24th May 2011.
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