Concrete work begins on the Panama Canal expansion

The most important phase of the construction, concrete work for the Atlantic and Pacific new set of locks has begun.

Last March, the contractor, Grupo Unidos por el Canal S.A. (GUPCSA), in charge of this project, started pouring lean concrete at both lock sites to level the surface in preparation for the permanent concrete work. More recently structural marine concrete to shape the floor of the upper chamber in Gatun was poured on the Atlantic side.

On the Pacific side, concrete pouring activities also began with the construction of the pit for the first of three lock crossunders or tunnels. Through these crossunders, trays and pipes will carry communication and electricity wires, drinking water pipelines and other components needed to operate the lock complex.

An expansion of this world famous set of locks was inevitable as cruise lines continue to build bigger and wider cruise ships. The new canal should massively improve congestion

In its entirety, the new set of locks will require 4.8 million cubic meters of concrete.

The image shown is of the current Panama Canal system in which Cunard’s newest Ship, the Queen Elizabeth only just managed to squeeze through.