With so many different nationalities and cultures represented among its participants, the Panama Canal expansion project faces obstacles worthy of the U.N. General Assembly. Together with the canal's vital role in world shipping and to the Panamanian economy—and with the project's construction risks—it's not hard to understand how misunderstandings could have led to $1.6-billion in disputed claims, said project risk experts speaking at ENR's Global Construction Summit in New York City on May 13.
Jerry P. Brodsky, director of the Latin American practice group for law firm Peckar & Abramson, said the problems created by such multinational casts would be more common in building complex infrastructure projects, but cultural issues that add to the canal's complexity and resolution challenges have not been adequately addressed.