Second shipment of gates arrives in Panama

The second shipment of four rolling gates for the Panama Canal’s expansion programme has arrived from the Port of Trieste, Italy, aboard the semi-submersible vessel STX Sun Rise.

Differing from the first shipment, these latest gates have two different dimensions, according to their final position in the lock chambers.

The taller ones or “Type C” were fabricated for lock head number 3 in the middle chamber of the Pacific locks. They are 57.6 m long by 10 m thick and 32 m tall, and weigh approximately 3,900 tonnes, with all internal appurtenances installed. The shorter ones or “Type A” will be located in lock head 1 in the Atlantic site’s upper chamber, adjacent to the lake. They are 57.6 m long by 8 m thick and 22.3 m tall, and weigh approximately 2,300 tonnes.