THE GIANT gates for the new locks at the Atlantic end of the Panama Canal began moving on Saturday, July 19 from Fort Davis dock, where they are being stored, to the expansion site.
The consortium GUPC which began transporting the gates emphasized that "so far it has met with all of its obligations arising from the agreement of understanding signed last March with the Panama Canal Authority."

 The gates of the third set of locks for the Panama Canal will be sliding instead of hinged.
"This technology makes future maintenance easier and makes the process of opening and closing the gates between four and five minutes," said GUPC.
Administrator Jorge Luis Quijano said that moving the lock gates is "a very important operation."