A Big Crack Now Threatens the Panama Canal Expansion – VIDEO

Water seeps through concrete in one of the chambers of the Cocoli Locks in the Panama Canal.

A new photo gives a close-up view of the crack that threatens the completion of the project to expand the Panama Canal. 

As gCaptain reported over the weekend, the crack and subsequent leaks appeared in the concrete of one of the interior chambers of the new Cocoli Locks on the Pacific side of the waterway during testing. 

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) maintains that the crack is not expected to impact the delivery of the expansion project in April 2016 as planned, but still no details have been revealed about the scope of repairs needed to fix the issue, leaving many questions still unanswered.

A crack that has formed in one of the new locks of the expanded Panama Canal could potentially threaten the delivery of the project as scheduled.

The crack formed in what is known as the sill of the new Cocoli Locks on the Panama Canal’s Pacific side. Video shows water seaping through the concrete across the width of the chamber near the top of the sill, just below one of the giant rolling gates that forms the barrier between lock chambers.

Teams from contractor Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) and the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) met Saturday to discuss the scope of the problem and solutions.

The ACP has said that they will not accept anything less than perfect for the project. “The ACP will not accept the work of (the expanded canal) flawed,” the ACP tweeted Friday after learning of the issues. “The contractor must repair to the satisfaction imperfections and defects detected in the testing period we are conducting,” the ACP said in another tweet.

GUPC addressed the issue via Twitter on Friday after photos of the crack began circulating online.

Neither the ACP or GUPC have said what the problems could mean for the delivery of the project currently scheduled for April 2016.

GUPC began filling the Cocoli lock with water in June and the barrier separating the new lock from the water of the Pacific Ocean was just removed this last week. 

An aerial photo of the new Cocoli locks on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal. Photo: ACP

The Panama Canal expansion involves the construction of a ‘Third Set of Locks’ that will allow larger ships to transit. The project, costing more than $5 billion, now stands at more than 90% complete.

The new Pacifici and Atlantic lock complexes combined have 16 rolling gates, 8 on each side.

The ACP has said that any imperfections or defects in the project will not be accepted as per quality requirements laid out in its contract with main contractor GUPC, which is responsible for the delivery and performance of the new locks.

The crack appeared during the filling and test stage of the new locks on the Pacific side that began June.

GUPC addressed the problem publicly last Friday after photos of the crack began circulating online.

According to the ACP, the crack appeared in the “step”, or sill, of lockhead 3 (LH3), dividing the middle chamber from the lower chamber of the new Cocoli Lock complex.

The Panama Canal expansion project, costing more than $5 billion, involves the construction of a ‘Third Set of Locks’ that will create a new lane of traffic and allow larger ships to transit the famous waterway, effectively doubling its capacity.

According to the project’s website, the design and construction of the Third Set of Locks, the main component of the project, is now at 91% complete. 

GUPC is a consortium made up of Sacyr Vallehermoso of Spain as its head, with Impregilo of Italy, Jan De Nul of Belgium and Constructura Urbana, SA (CUSA) of Panama.