The last of 16 gates of the Panama Canal’s new locks is scheduled to be installed yesterday, marking a key milestone in the expansion project.
The gate was expected to be installed at the southern end of the new Pacific locks.
The installation of the eight rolling gates on the Atlantic side of the canal concluded on April 1st.
The gate measures 57.6 meters in width by 10 meters in length and 33 meters in height. Moreover, weighing 4,232 tonnes, it is the heaviest gate in the locks.
Once installed, the electromechanical connection of the gate with the remaining elements of locks will ensue.
The next major step in the expansion project will be flooding of the locks in the Atlantic side of the canal, before moving forward with the first tests of operation.
The expansion project is 87.6% complete.
The USD5.2 billion expansion project is slated for completion in December 2015.
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