Panama Canal Reconstruction Resumes
The financial dispute continues, but work on the new locks resumed Feb. 20.
The Panama Canal Authority announced that construction work on widening the canal's locks resumed on Feb. 20. The construction consortium halted work several weeks ago, claiming it could not finish the project for the agreed price.
"Works have restarted this afternoon," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. "The consortium has guaranteed that it will continue working, which was our main objective so we can move forward and discuss other issues for a longer-term agreement." The authority has paid the consortium $36.8 million due for December invoices.
The consortium's members are Sacyr Vallehermoso, S.A (Spain), Impregilo, S.p.A. (Italy), Jan de Nul Group (Belgium), and Constructora Urbana, S.A. (CUSA) (Panama). Negotiations will continue in a bid to come to an agreement to finish the project.
The Panama Canal Authority operates the canal. For more information, visit its website.