The third set of locks "has entered its countdown phase," the Grupo Unidos Por el Canal (GUPC) consortium, responsible for the expansion project, said in a statement.
The 80-kilometer canal, completed in 1914 to offer a short cut and safer journey for maritime traffic between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, is undergoing a refit to triple its capacity.
"The project is expected to be completed in April 2016," the statement said. That would be 1.5 years past the original target date.
Almost all of the work has been completed, and structural and systems tests "are bringing optimal results." According to the GUPC, the 16 massive sliding gates of the new locks "are responding positively to all electromechanical tests."
The statement comes weeks after alarm bells rang when fissures were found on the canal's Pacific locks, where water was filtering in through a concrete wall. At least three more months of testing will be carried out before navigation tests begin, the statement said.
AFP - globaltimes.cn
7/10/15
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