Page 54: of Marine Technology Magazine (Jun/Jul 2015)

Mega Dredging Projects 40 million cu. m. of 40 million cu. m. of 2005 - 2015 soil & rock excavatedsoil & rock excavated

Panama / Panama Canal

One hundred years after its opening in 1914, extensive operations are taking place at the Panama Ca- nal. While improvements have been ongoing, recent works encompass the construction of two major lock complexes at the Atlantic and Paci? c entrances, widening of a 14.2-km stretch of canal to 225 m and deepening to – 16.3 m, and deepening of the Paci? c entrance and southern approach channel.

Some 40 million cu. m. of soil and rock have been excavated and 5 million cu. m. of concrete are be- ing poured. The notoriously hard subsoil was drilled and blasted. In total 25 million cu. m. of Atlantic muck and Gatun rock were dredged.

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MTR

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