ITF commissions Panama Canal safety study
In a deal signed in Limassol, Cyprus on Friday the Federation is to employ the Brazil-based Fundação Homem de Mar (FHM) to construct a mathematical model to analyse the manoeuvrability considerations for the safe transit of the locks.
Attention has been focused on the new locks, not just because of the canal’s importance as a maritime route, but also because its construction has been postponed several times. Recent tests raised serious concerns about the condition of the structure, with several cracks being detected in the new locks, even though the structure should be designed to withstand earthquakes. This has created further concerns over the real date the locks will be fully operational, not to mention the low level of Gatun Lake, which temporarily reduced the canal’s operative draft even before the new locks are filled.
The structure is not the only concern. The new locks will necessitate changes to canal operations.