Panama Canal Authority Other service
Panama Canal Transit Service
Transit of ships between the Atlantic and Pacific through the approximately 80 km Panama Canal lock system, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Description
The Panama Canal Authority provides transit service to ships of all nations without discrimination, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The approximately 80 km waterway uses locks that work as water lifts, raising ships from sea level to Gatun Lake, 26 m above sea level. Lock sets are Gatún on the Atlantic side, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores on the Pacific side, plus the Cocolí and Agua Clara locks. Water for each lockage comes from Gatun Lake by gravity.
Key features
- Original lock chambers: 33.53 m wide x 304.8 m long
- Maximum vessel dimensions (original locks): 32.3 m beam, 12 m draft in tropical fresh water, 294.1 m length depending on ship type
- Culebra Cut, the narrowest part of the Canal, is approximately 13.7 km long
- Between 13,000 and 14,000 transits per year; more than 815,000 vessels since opening on August 15, 1914
Applications
- Interocean passage for vessels on more than 180 maritime routes connecting 1,920 ports in 170 countries
Specifications
| Length | approximately 80 km |
|---|---|
| Gatun Lake level | 26 m above sea level |
| Lock chamber dimensions (original locks) | 33.53 m wide x 304.8 m long |
| Maximum vessel beam | 32.3 m |
| Maximum vessel draft | 12 m tropical fresh water |
| Maximum vessel length | 294.1 m (depending on ship type) |
| Annual transits | 13,000-14,000 ships |
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