The administrator of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Jorge Quijano, said that the inauguration /commercial opening of the third lane was still on for the second quarter of 2016, with navigation tests beginning in April. Quijano added that the expansion works were 96% complete.

According to the consortium building the new locks, GUPC, repairs to the cracks in the sills and locks reinforcements are scheduled to be completed mid-January 2016 as GUPC has begun the installation of new steel reinforcements for the leaking lock heads.“Testing of locks reinforcements and additional testing will occur next,” said Quijano. T

he ACP plans to make transit trial tests with a chartered vessel in the Atlantic locks in April.“The ACP is building the expanded Canal for the long haul, and quality and testing are critical. The ACP will continue to provide updates on the project as more progress and information is made available,” it said in a statement.

“We are very close—only 4%t remains to complete the project,” Quijano said. “An expansion of the Panama Canal has never been done and we should all feel very good about where we are today.”

“After a successful year, we look forward to being able to provide the benefits of the new Canal to our customers and the people of Panama.”