Panama Canal CEO Briefs Leaders in Miami on Canal Expansion
November 11, 2009On November 6, Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta briefed government and business leaders on the progress of the Panama Canal Expansion Program at an event in Miami, Fla. He confirmed expansion is moving ahead on time and on budget and said it will facilitate trade between the Port of Miami and the Panama Canal.
“Expansion is moving ahead as planned and will build a new lane of traffic along the Canal through the construction of a new set of locks. Anticipated to be complete by 2014, the project will double the waterway’s capacity and allow more traffic and wider ships to transit,” Alemán Zubieta said. “The Port of Miami will be in a key strategic position to accommodate the world’s largest cargo vessels as a result of the expanded Panama Canal.”
The event, organized by the Port of Miami, brought together government and business representatives, including Panamanian Ambassador to the United States Jaime E. Alemán, Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioner Dennis C. Moss, and Port of Miami Director Bill Johnson.
Johnson provided an update on the port’s capital improvement programs intended to maximize the benefits of the expanded Canal. He reported that the port is dredging to increase its draft from 42 to 50 feet to accommodate larger ships. The Port Tunnel is another significant project, designed to ease congestion and provide more expedited delivery of goods to distribution centers in the area. Both projects are expected to finish by the Canal expansion’s anticipated completion date of 2014.
