On August 11, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) breathed a sigh of relief when the main contractor for the New Third Set of Locks Project, Grupo Unidos por el Canal, reached an agreement with the National Union of Workers of Construction and Similar Industries that supersedes a strike call which would have halted work on the new locks’ construction site.
The expansion of the 101-year-old Canal is creating a new lane of traffic through the construction of a new set of locks, doubling the waterway’s capacity. When this new lane opens, sometime in the spring of 2016, so-called “Post-Panamax” vessels will be able to travel through the Atlantic-Pacific connector with up to 13,000 containers, versus the current 5,000-container limit.
As of late July, the massive $5.25 billion Canal expansion project had reached 94% completion, according to DredgingToday.com. The new lane’s 16 gates have been inserted into 22-story locksets, which have been flooded for testing purposes. Water flow through the structure’s calverts and chambers will be controlled by 152 valves. One of three dams on the north end of the Pacific side of the new lane has been completed. And construction continues on 32 buildings whose concrete volume exceeds 400 cubic meters, that will allow for 7% less water usage than the current locks.
The waterway and Gatun Lake have also been dredged to accommodate larger ships.
This expansion is reportedly spurring construction in port cities along the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, in anticipation of larger ships and more business coming their way. The Canal Authority also expects to lure new businesses with its wider, deeper waterway. In January for example, ACP signed a cooperation agreement with the Port of Lake Charles in Louisiana for the purpose of attracting new customers from the liquefied natural gas industry, whose vessels’ beam dimensions had prevented them from using the Canal in the past.
This expansion project, which has been ongoing for seven years, might not be the last word on the Canal’s growth, either. ACP reportedly is considering a $17 billion proposal from Harbour Engineering Company Ltd., a subsidiary of state-owned China Communications Construction Co Ltd., for a fourth set of locks big enough to handle ships with 18,000 to 20,000 containers.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Jun 28, 2023
Sutton Tower, an 80-story multifamily development, completes construction in Manhattan’s Midtown East
In Manhattan’s Midtown East, the construction of Sutton Tower, an 80-story residential building, has been completed. Located in the Sutton Place neighborhood, the tower offers 120 for-sale residences, with the first move-ins scheduled for this summer. The project was designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen and developed by Gamma Real Estate and JVP Management. Lendlease, the general contractor, started construction in 2018.
Apartments | Jun 27, 2023
Dallas high-rise multifamily tower is first in state to receive WELL Gold certification
HALL Arts Residences, 28-story luxury residential high-rise in the Dallas Arts District, recently became the first high-rise multifamily tower in Texas to receive WELL Gold Certification, a designation issued by the International WELL Building Institute. The HKS-designed condominium tower was designed with numerous wellness details.
K-12 Schools | May 25, 2023
From net zero to net positive in K-12 schools
Perkins Eastman’s pursuit of healthy, net positive schools goes beyond environmental health; it targets all who work, teach, and learn inside them.
Office Buildings | May 15, 2023
Sixteen-story office tower will use 40% less energy than an average NYC office building
This month marks the completion of a new 16-story office tower that is being promoted as New York City’s most sustainable office structure. That boast is backed by an innovative HVAC system that features geothermal wells, dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) units, radiant heating and cooling, and a sophisticated control system to ensure that the elements work optimally together.
Office Buildings | May 4, 2023
In Southern California, a former industrial zone continues to revitalize with an award-winning office property
In Culver City, Calif., Del Amo Construction, a construction company based in Southern California, has completed the adaptive reuse of 3516 Schaefer St, a new office property. 3516 Schaefer is located in Culver City’s redeveloped Hayden Tract neighborhood, a former industrial zone that has become a technology and corporate hub.
Mass Timber | May 3, 2023
Gensler-designed mid-rise will be Houston’s first mass timber commercial office building
A Houston project plans to achieve two firsts: the city’s first mass timber commercial office project, and the state of Texas’s first commercial office building targeting net zero energy operational carbon upon completion next year. Framework @ Block 10 is owned and managed by Hicks Ventures, a Houston-based development company.
| Apr 28, 2023
$1 billion mixed-use multifamily development will add 1,200 units to South Florida market
A giant $1 billion residential project, The District in Davie, will bring 1.6 million sf of new Class A residential apartments to the hot South Florida market. Located near Ft. Lauderdale and greater Miami, the development will include 36,000 sf of restaurants and retail space. The development will also provide 1.1 million sf of access controlled onsite parking with 2,650 parking spaces.
Mixed-Use | Apr 27, 2023
New Jersey turns a brownfield site into Steel Tech, a 3.3-acre mixed-use development
In Jersey City, N.J., a 3.3-acre redevelopment project called Steel Tech will turn a brownfield site into a mixed-use residential high-rise building, a community center, two public plazas, and a business incubator facility. Steel Tech received site plan approval in recent weeks.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 19, 2023
Austin’s historic Rainey Street welcomes a new neighbor: a 48-story mixed-used residential tower
Austin’s historic Rainey Street is welcoming a new neighbor. The Paseo, a 48-story mixed-used residential tower, will bring 557 apartments and two levels of retail to the popular Austin entertainment district, known for houses that have been converted into bungalow bars and restaurants.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Reinforced concrete walls and fins stiffen and shade the National Bank of Kuwait skyscraper
When the National Bank of Kuwait first conceived its new headquarters more than a decade ago, it wanted to make a statement about passive design with a soaring tower that could withstand the extreme heat of Kuwait City, the country’s desert capital.
