Panama Approves Canal Expansion

The Panama Canal, a wonder of the world when completed in 1914, needs to be expanded and modernized because the locks are woefully inadequate to handle the largest ships now plying the oceans of the world.

The $5.1 billion expansion would build a new set of locks along the 50 mile canal. The new locks would be 40% longer and 60% wider than the existing locks.

Here's an overview of the expansion project.

One ongoing problem that doesn't appear to have been addressed is the problems with erosion in the Gaillard Cut, which has required ships to transit the area much slower so as to avoid undue erosion.