Last gates for canal expansion arrive

THE LAST four lock gates for the completion of the Panama Canal expansion, running a year late late, arrived Wednesday. November 13 country from Italy. President of Juan Carlos Varela, was there to receive the giant structures structures.

 “Today is a historic day when we not only receive the gates but we get closer to this new era of our expanded Canal which will bring better days for all Panamanians,” Varela said.
With this shipment from Trieste the delivery of all 16 gates, made in Italy by the company Cimolai, to be used in the new Panama Canal locks are completed.
“This is an important milestone because it is the last of the most critical components of the project and once installed all gates will fill the locks with water and we will begin testing” the new channel, said Canal Authority administrator Jorge Quijano.
The Panama route, through which passes 5% of world sea trade is being expanded for vessels up to 14,000 containers, triple the capacity of those which can now passthrough the canal.
The work, estimated at $5,250 million, involves the construction of a third set of locks for Panamax vessels, equivalent to four football fields, to cross the 80 kilometers waterway