Visitor center to view canal expansion locks is open

The Panama Canal Expansion Center in Colon opened on August 15 and is awaiting your visit to see the construction of the world’s biggest locks.

This is a work conceived so that visitors can "witness the construction of the third set of locks," says Sixta Diaz, manager of the Visitor Centers Unit of the Canal Authority (ACP)  the new center is a more environmentally friendly than the  viewpoints of Gatun and Miraflores, and is built on an elevated site in the midst  of the jungle area east of  the construction  project but visitors will be able to see progress on  the monumental infrastructure.

Diaz says that since the start of the  expansion project in September 2007, she has not stopped receiving applications for visitors, groups or individuals who want to see the development of the new locls  without affecting the operation  of the canal. 

To date, the expansion program as a whole has progressed 43% and according to the original schedule should be completed in October 2014. However, the. consortium responsible for the construction of the third set of locks, has had delays in the work so the completion date  could be extended to  April 2015

The ACP has approached cruise lines that have expressed interest in site visits with tourists coming to Colon and has also contacted tour operators for group tours.