Italians Start Delivery of Gates for Panama Canal Expansion
The $5-billion Panama Canal expansion reached a major milestone on Aug. 19, when the first four of 16 rolling gates arrived on-site from Italy. The third set of locks comprises 16 gates, which weigh about 3,300 tons each. Constructed by subcontractor Cimolai SpA, the locks are unloaded at the Atlantic side of the canal and rolled off the ship onto a special reception dock. Each gate, 10 meters wide, 30 m high and 58 m long, will take about two to three months to install.