The Panama Canal has a final gate

The Panama Canal Authority has declared the installation of the sixteenth and final gate on the Pacific side of the canal as a milestone in the expansion program. The installation process began at the southern end of the Canal, which connects directly to the Pacific Ocean. The final gate is one of the heaviest as it weighs 4232 tons. They have overall dimensions of 57.6 meters wide and 10 meters long and 33 meters high.

Jorge Quijano, a spokesman for the Canal Administration, said that “today another important step has been taken in the implementation of the canal expansion program. After the completion of the program, the extended waterway will provide new opportunities for global maritime trade and will further strengthen the canal's position as a reliable route for industrial suppliers. ”

The new gate, made in Italy, was delivered to Panama in four phases starting in August 2013. With the final installation of the gate on the way to the Pacific Ocean, another important electromechanical process begins to ensure that the gate is connected to other structures in the new locks.

The Panama Canal Expansion provides for an overall 87.6 percent increase in promotion among all its components. Once all 16 gates have been installed, the next major milestone in canal widening will be reached when the airlocks are flooded. The installation of the other eight gates on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal was completed in early April 2015.