Before and Now Pics

[BillB48]

This just in from the Office of the Senior Vice President of Sidewalk Superintendents.... Here is a before and now picture of how the location for the Pacific Access Channel looked not too long before the construction started for the Canal's expansion program. The first shot is from Miraflores Locks looking north across Miraflores Lake towards Pedro Miguel Locks and Gaillard Cut. The hill on the left side of the photo which almost completely obscures the left tower of the Centennial Bridge, is Cartagena Hill which as you can see in the second photo has been completely removed. What is not easy to see is the left shore of Miraflores Lake has a series of footings constructed which effectively moved the shoreline on the left side into the lake a bit. These footings will be the base of the Borinquen Dam which is being constructed along with the Access Channel. This Dam is necessary because this access channel will be at the same level as Gaillard Cut/Gatun Lake which is about 30' higher than Miraflores Lake.

Somehow the changes don't seem to be that stark when you see them go on a little each day, but these two pictures are very different. Thought you other Canal watchers might enjoy.

I posted a rendering of what the finished project will look like a while back... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showp...65&postcount=1

[AKman2495]

Interesting pictures. Looking forward to getting down there this fall.

[BillB48]

Well this is certainly the s-l-o-w season for this part of Cruise Critic, so in the interest of generating something to see and talk about... here goes.

In the first set of pictures I mistakenly referred to the hill that had been removed as Cartagena Hill.... my bad. It seems the correct name is Paraiso Hill, probably where the town of Paraiso took its' name that sets almost directly across the Canal.

These are the pictures I was looking for, the first shows Paraiso Hill before work began, the hill was about 470' above sea level.



The next picture the hill is removed, the finished elevation at this point is about 100' above sea level. The next portion of work will involve the digging of the Pacific Access Channel which will connect Gaillard Cut with the new locks that are being constructed.

Take a look at the link in the first post... that will show what it will look like when completed.

[Azulann]

Bill,
Thanks for the pictures.
Are you there or taking pictures off the web cam?

I agree that all the ports of call for a full transit of the Panama Canal are very slow. I am use to Europe's ports of call which are always very active.

[BillB48]

Some are from the various Canal webcams and others I have saved from various other places on the web. A few are ones I've taken as well over the years. I have tons of slides (of the Canal and Locks)that I have not put into digital format or logical order.... one of these days!

[lcmslady]

I agree it's very slow here.....I"m looking for info for my upcoming transit and there's no one lurking around.

Very interesting pictures. I'm busy reading all the books I can get my hands on so I understand the history and engineering. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't absorb or understand most of it.

Keep the good stuff coming! I'll be lurking somewhere.....

[BillB48]

Originally Posted by lcmslady

I'm busy reading all the books I can get my hands on so I understand the history and engineering. Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't absorb or understand most of it.

Keep the good stuff coming! I'll be lurking somewhere.....

Let's hope this will be "good" stuff as it is still pretty slow around here. Don't be afraid if you don't absorb it all the first time..... that's a good excuse to make another trip through the Canal!

Fellow Cruise Critic dmwnc1959 did the honors of this webcam grab the other day of the Celebrity ship (Millennium, if I recall) exiting Pedro Miguel Locks heading south to Miraflores Locks and the Pacific. I took the liberty and notated the various items we are seeing in this picture. Brief description follows. Hopefully this does not cloud or muddy the waters too much!

Pacific Access Channel; This will connect the new locks being constructed a little south and west of Miraflores Locks. The PAC will connect the new locks with Gaillard Cut at a point in between the new Centennial Bridge and Pedro Miguel Locks. Gaillard Cut actually is an arm of Gatun Lake. The normal elevation for the Lake is 85' above sea level, the expansion plans do call for the Lake to be held at a slightly higher level to accommodate the increased draft on Post Panamax ships.

Borinquen Dam; This will be a clay core dam actually built in four distinct sections to contain the waters of the PAC and ultimately Gaillard Cut and Gatun Lake. The reason for this dam is to provide a channel that is Gatun Lake level (85' above sea level) to the new locks. The new locks will lift the ship up to Gatun Lake level all at the same lock instead of two locks (Miraflores and Pedro Miguel) used in the present system.

Miraflores Lake; This is the smaller of the two artificial lakes on the Canal, the other being Gatun Lake. Miraflores Lake is 54' above sea level. The top of the Borinquen Dam will be somewhere near 100' above sea level, basically the same elevation of the top of the lock walls at Pedro Miguel Locks.

The New Locks; One lane with 3 steps and water saving basins. This will allow the new locks even though quite a bit larger, to use less water than the present locks. The new locks are being constructed on the original footprint of the additional locks that was started a couple of years before WW2 broke out. There will be an identical set of locks built on the Atlantic side just east of the present Gatun Locks. The new Atlantic Locks will not require extensive approach channels as the new Pacific Locks does.

[BillB48]

The rolling lock gates, (I was going to say miter gates... but these don't miter) under construction in Italy.

Scroll down, for some reason there is a lot of space between pictures.
There are 3 pictures.

[Keith1010]

Thanks for posting these photos.

Keith