Sunday, December 24, 2017, Passing thru the Panama Canal, Part 1

The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is an artificial 77 km (48 mi) waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. There are locks at each end to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal, 26 m (85 ft) above sea level, and then lower the ships at the other end. The original locks are 34 m (110 ft) wide. A third, wider lane of locks was constructed between September 2007 and May 2016. The expanded canal began commercial operation on June 26, 2016. The new locks allow transit of larger, Post-Panamax ships, capable of handling more cargo.

France began work on the canal in 1881 but stopped due to engineering problems and a high worker mortality rate. The United States took over the project in 1904 and opened the canal on August 15, 1914. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduced the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America via the Drake Passage or Strait of Magellan.

Colombia, France, and later the United States controlled the territory surrounding the canal during construction. The U.S. continued to control the canal and surrounding Panama Canal Zone until the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties provided for handover to Panama. After a period of joint American–Panamanian control, in 1999 the canal was taken over by the Panamanian government and is now managed and operated by the government-owned Panama Canal Authority.

Annual traffic has risen from about 1,000 ships in 1914, when the canal opened, to 14,702 vessels in 2008, for a total of 333.7 million Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons. By 2012, more than 815,000 vessels had passed through the canal. It takes six to eight hours to pass through the Panama Canal. The American Society of Civil Engineers has called the Panama Canal one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Rumor has it that it cost Viking $276,000 to move the Sun cruise ship thru the canal today.  But I am sure this is a lot cheaper than going around the southern tip of South America, as well as a whole lot shorter time wise.

The third bridge over the Panama Canal, known as the Atlantic Bridge, is a road bridge under construction in Colón, Panama, which will span the Atlantic entrance to the Canal. When completed it will be a third bridge over the Panama Canal after the Bridge of the Americas and the Centennial Bridge both on the Pacific side of the canal.

The bridge is proposed to be a double-pylon, double-plane, concrete girder, cable-stayed bridge with a main span of 530 metres (1,740 ft), and two side spans of 230 metres (750 ft). The east and west approaches are to be 1,074 metres (3,524 ft) and 756 metres (2,480 ft) long respectively. The bridge was designed by the China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) consisting of HPDI and Louis Berger Group.

Three consortiums were approved to bid for the bridge construction: Acciona Infraestructuras -Tradeco (Spain and Mexico), Odebrecht– Hyundai Joint Venture (Brazil and Korea), and Vinci Construction Grands Projets (France). Tenders were received in August 2012.

In October 2012, the Panama Canal Authority awarded a contract to the French company Vinci Construction to build a third (permanent) bridge, near the Atlantic side, for an offer price of US$366 million.  At that time the bridge had no name, but Third bridge and Atlantic side bridge were used, as well as Atlantic Bridge.

Construction of the bridge and access viaducts, which commenced in January 2013 was planned to take three and a half years and was expected to be completed in 2016.  As of December 2016 the estimated completion date was middle of 2018.

Our cruise ship veered right to traverse the original canal locks.  The Japanese car hauling ship (background) veered left to traverse the new canal locks.

Remnants for original French dig in late 18th century.  Because they wanted it to be sea level without locks it failed due to very hard terrain.

Cruise ship in front of ours at the beginning Gatun Lock, waiting for "rear" gates to close so water can fill from lock above and in front so it can be raised 29 feet.  Below the water has filled so gate in front can be opened to enter the next uphill lock.

"Mule" used not to tow ships along canals but to keep ships centered in the canal to prevent scraping on the sides of the locks.

DUE TO THE SIZE OF THIS DAY'S BLOG, IT IS PUBLISHED IN THREE PARTS