Going through the Panama Canal
...it originally opened in 1914
...1962, the first bridge linking the continents opened. The Bridge of the Americas.
...in 1963 the Panama Canal begins a operating 24/7
...February 29, 1977, on this day the most transits across...65 ships.
...September 7, 1977, the USA and Panama sign a treaty giving Panama control over the canal by
December 31, 1999.
...1994 the Panama Canal is chosen as one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.
...2007, the Panama Canal expansion begins
...the bulk carrier Fortune Plum is the one millionth transit through the waterways.
...third set of locks open June 26th, 2016
On a cruise through the locks two years prior travelling from Florida to San Diego we were able to see the new locks being built. The inter oceanic waterway uses a system of locks with two lanes that operates as water elevators, raising ships from sea level to the level of Gatun Lake, 26 meters above sea level. This transverse allows ships to cross the Continental Divide, then lowering them back to sea level on the other side of the isthmus. Travelling west to east we entered two locks on the Pacific side taking us into Mirraflores Lake. A short sail and we arrived at the third lock known as Pedro Miguel locks, this then allowed us to enter Gatun Lake. This is a fairly large lake and travel through proceeds slowly, often following other ships. Exiting Gatun Lake we then enter three more locks known as Gatun Locks, finally arriving in the Carribean Sea.
The expansion of the third set of locks allows much larger ships through. This required a good deal of dredging on both sides of the canal providing deeper canal entrances, widening and deepening of the Gatun Lake channel and deepening of the Culebra Cut. A new 6.1 kilometre Pacific Access channel, almost parallel to the current channel joins the new Pacific locks with the Culebra Cut.
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