New lock gates being installed at Panama Canal

The expansion of the Panama Canal continues to move forward as workers put in place gates for the vessel chambers.    Contractors on Monday began installing the first of eight rolling gates for locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal, the Canal Authority said. The locks are part of a multi-billion expansion that, when completed in 2016, will allow much larger vessels to pass through the maritime shortcut and potentially open new trade possibilities.
   The gates will contain water in the lock chamber, allowing vessels to navigate a series of steps in the waterway.
   The steel gates are moved into position using self-propelled motorized wheel transporters with more than 400 wheels. The first gate weighs 3,285 tons, and is 10 meters wide and 30 meters tall. The gates vary in size depending on their location in the system. The gate should be in the lock head within a couple days.
   There are a total of 16 gates, which were made in Italy and shipped to Panama over a series of months.
   Construction is 84-percent complete, the Canal Authority said.