Seepages patched, Panama Canal expansion nears finish line

Grupos Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) has completed repairs and reinforcement works to the new set of locks for the expansion of the Panama Canal.

Filling is now underway at the Pacific and Atlantic locks, and after that testing of the repairs will be undertaken, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said in a statement.

Sill leakage was detected last August at the lower and middle chamber at the Cococlí-facing lock (Pacific), which was attributed to insufficient steel reinforcement. Click here to watch a video of the leakages, which was uploaded by local paper La Estrella.

As a precautionary measure GUPC also carried out reinforcement works at the Aguas Claras-facing lock (Atlantic), despite no reported seepages.

The over-US$5bn project is 96% complete, ACP said.

Construction time is nearing eight years, and assuming the expansion is completed in May, it would be approximately 18 months behind schedule and around US$550mn over budget.

ACP and GUPC have taken their dispute over the reasons for the cost overruns to the International Chamber of Commerce, where the arbitration panel recently awarded awarded GUPC compensation of US$24.6mn.

In total the ICC has awarded the contractors around US$308mn of the US$853mn it had been seeking.

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