Panama Canal - Gatun Locks

The existing locks of the Panama Canal take some impressively large ships, but Panama wants to accommodate
the newer and much larger super tankers and freighters

The original Panama Canal opened in 1914.  To this day they still use the original gates for the locks, as they take very good care of them.  Just north of the Miraflorez locks at the north end of the Culebra Cut, is a small community chock full of Panama Canal Authority tugs.  This facility is the home and primary workshop for those that keep the canal and its equipment running.  Here, they have built many of the dredges and other specialized equipment in use within the Canal and the facility houses one of only two floating cranes in the world capable of removing the gates to the locks.  BTW, did you know that the lock gates float;  We sure didn't.

Gatun Dam on the Chagres River is one of several dams
constructed to create Gatun Lake, the heart of the Canal

The people of Panama recognize that one of their primary sources of income and the economic engine that keeps their country strong is the existence and ongoing operations of the Panama Canal.  To that end, a number of years ago they embarked on an ambitious project: by vote of the people, they decided to expand the canal so that it could accommodate some of the largest ships ever built.

Chagres River below the Dam

When the canal was originally built it was sized for the largest ships of that era.  As technology advanced and our need for shipped oil and other goods increased worldwide, carriers began constructing super tankers and super freighters far too large to fit through the existing canal.  The people of Panama are betting on these carriers wishing to cut weeks off of their shipping times by using the new, much larger, locks on two new channels being carved for the the canal.  And they are betting big, to the tune of Billions of Dollars in construction costs.

From the old highway (soon to be replaced by a new bridge)
the project looms large in the distance

Construction began in 2007 and the new locks, were originally scheduled for completion in time for the 100 year anniversary of the Canal, in 2014.  Unfortunately, the project was hit by a serious accident that claimed workers lives.  This resulted in a labor action by local unions for safer working conditions, and lengthy delays as issues were resolved.  The new locks are now scheduled to open in 2015. As we witnessed in our tour of the Gatun construction site, the project continues 24x7 to meet the completion deadline.

Display at the Gatun Visitors' Center

At both the north end of the Canal (Gatun Locks) and the south (Miraflorez and Pedro Miguel locks) new channels have been cut and larger locks are being built.  The original locks will still operate as they do now, the new locks will simply increase the capabilities and capacity of the canal by adding a "third lane" to the system.  We learned from our Pilot Advisor, that the remaining choke point for the canal will be in the narrow Culebra Cut.  Other than the locks themselves, this cut serves as a chokepoint for ships inside the system, as two large ships cannot pass one another inside the channel.  When the larger ships enter the system, this remaining chokepoint will necessitate very careful regulation of vessel traffic within the system.

The scope of the project soon becomes apparent when you get to the Gatun Visitor's Center  (View NE)

While at the Gatun Visitors' Center we enjoyed a 30 minute video explaining the project(s) (in English!) as well as providing a history of the Canal and the various attempts to build it over hundreds of years.  We definitely recommend a stop at this center if you are on the north end of the Canal for any time.

View NW from Gatun Visitors' Center showing Gatun Lake