Canal expansion D Day still in the air

 PANAMA’S CANAL  Authority (ACP) will not know   the expansion ‘’D (Delivery)  Day” until  January 15, 2016.

That’s  the day when it will be known if the new locks will be finished in April, as expected, or if the work will be delayed, yet again  due to leaks that were detected in August.

According to the schedule presented by Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) to the ACP)  the contractor t will finish repairs on the new locks by that date to be able to finish the project by April.

ACP official IIya Espino de Marotta said that if the repairs are completed by then  the locks should be ready in April.

“My personal perception is that even if there is some delay, it wouldn’t be beyond May or June 2016,” the official said.

In the last meeting between the contractor and the ACP, there was no change in the date reports La Prensa.

If the repairs, which consist of reinforcing steel that was placed on the floor of the locks, concludes by January  15, field tests with Canal pilots will begin by the end of the month.

To start the training, the institution is building a scale model of the new locks.

In addition to work related to the construction of the locks, there still needs to be work done on the dry excavation of the project, as well as other minor aspects of the project, such as the installation of signage, buoys and lights.

According to the economic projection of the ACP, the final cost of the project will be $5.43 billion, $180 million more than the original budget. That number could increase substantially as the contractor has $3.5 billion in pending claims.