Panama Canal to Face Delays?

As repair work continues on the soon-to-be-completed Panama Canal expansion project, doubt still looms over the final completion date, with speculation that a delay is likely to happen, according to gCaptain.

Jorge Quijano, Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reportedly said that the delivery of the expanded Panama Canal is anticipated in Q2, 2016.

Watch the December update of the Panama Canal’s progress

The ACP said: “The ACP is building the expanded canal for the long haul, and quality and testing are critical. The ACP will continue to provide updates on the project as more progress and information is made available.”

Delays were encountered recently after a crack was discovered in one of the Cocoli Locks underneath one of the 16 rolling gates in August, 2015.

Repair work has since begun on the crack and is expected to be fixed by January, 2016.

Once completed, the Panama Canal expansion will help to accommodate larger capacity ships with a new third lock for traffic.

The first transits of the Atlantic locks are set to take place in April, 2016, with the opening scheduled shortly after, should there be no more delays.