OVER 100  years after the oopening ofthe Panama Canal a ship bearing the name of the driving force behind  what was seen as one of the seven wonders of the world, created a new record for the waterway.

[caption id="attachment_74985" align="alignleft" width="366"] View from the Visitor deck window at the Miralores lock[/caption]

The CMA CGM Theodore Roosevelt, traveling between Asia and the east coast of the United States, on  Tuesday, August 22, became  the largest vessel to transit the new locks.

"Today's traffic not only highlights the growing success and acceptance of the expanded channel by the  Maritime industry but also its impact in redesigning world trade, "said the Canal administrator  Jorge Luis Quijano.

The vessel set a new record for total TEUs (equivalent to a container 20 feet long), with a mark of 14,886.

The  Theodore Roosevelt measures 365.96 meters long and 48.252 meters wide.

To get an idea of its dimensions, its size is similar to two pyramids of Giza, four Big Bens  or  Eight Statues of Liberty, said the Canal Authority.