Water Flows Into Panama Canal Access Channel

Today Panama President Ricardo Martinelli witnessed a new milestone at the Canal Expansion with the inundation of a segment of the new access channel that will allow the transit of Post-panamax vessels between the new Locks and the Culebra Cut.

Panama Canal Authority Board of Directors Chairman and Canal Affairs Minister Rómulo Roux and Panama Canal Authority Administrator Alberto Alemán Zubieta accompanied President Martinelli as he activated the valves to fill up this new channel which is located under the Centennial Bridge the closest area to the Culebra Cut.

It will take approximately three days to fill the area up to 12.5 meters of water and to reach the elevation of 21.64 feet above sea level using 1.4 million cubic meters of water from Gatun Lake.