The Panama Canal Authority
has opened the bid process for the $3.35-billion locks portion of the
ongoing massive expansion of the historic waterway.
 |
The new locks for the Panama Canal on the Pacific side will be built
near the existing Miraflores locks in the footprint of a previous
expansion effort abandoned due to World War II
|
The
"design-build" contracts will include the construction of two new sets
of locks allowing the massive post-Panamax ships to utilize the
waterway. The entire $5.25 billion expansion is expected to double the
capacity of the historic waterway by the time it is complete in 2014.
"Releasing
the (Request for Proposals) for the new locks is a major step forward
in the creation of the new lane," said ACP Executive Vice President of
Engineering and Program Management Jorge L. Quijano. "It is the most
significant contract in the Expansion Program."
 |
| The existing locks on the Panama Canal use a miter gate system of
swinging gates. The new locks will feature rolling gates that slide in
and out of place. |
Earlier this month, four consortiums composed of 30 companies were
approved in the first round of the bid process - Consorcio C.A.N.A.L.
led by ACS Servicios, Comunicaciones y Energía, S.L. of Spain;
Consorcio Atlántico-Pacífico de Panamá led by Bouygues Travaux Publics
of France; Bechtel, Taisei, Mitsubishi Corp., led by U.S.-based Bechtel
Internacional, Inc. and Grupo Unidos por el Canal, led by Spanish
company Sacyr Vallehermoso S.A.
The $5.25-billion
expansion project will add a new lane of traffic through the waterway
by the construction of new larger sets of locks on each end of the
canal. When completed in 2014, the project will double the tonnage
capacity and allow the transit of substantially larger vessels.
 |
| The current locks of the canal can only permit the passage of Panamax
ships built to their exact dimensions - 33.53 meters (110 ft) wide by
320.0 meters (1050 ft) long |
The expansion project is being overseen by engineering and
construction company CH2M Hill. The Denver-based firm was named project
manager in August. Subcontractors on the team include DHV Group, Grupo
TYPSA, CSA Group, and Earth Consultants International.
In
February, the canal authority – known by its Spanish-language acronym,
ACP - plans to hold meetings with consortia representative to outline
the specific content of the bid proposals. The proposals will be due
August 2008 and the canal authority plans to award the contract in
December of next year.
The ACP said it's evaluation of the bids will prioritize the best
value concept, with emphasis on technical components (60 percent) and
price (40 percent).
The new gravity-operated,
single-lane, three-step locks at the Atlantic and Pacific entrances
will boast lock chambers 427 meters long by 55 meters wide and 18.3
meters deep – with sufficient draft for the 366-meter-long post-Panamax
ships. Instead of 'miter' gates uses by the existing locks, the new
locks will use rolling gates similar to those at the Berendredt canal
in Anbres Belgium.
The new Pacific locks will be
located to the southwest side of the Miraflores Locks. The new Atlantic
locks will be located to the east of Gatun Locks.
The
locks will also feature a series of water saving basins approximately
70 meters wide by 5.50 meters deep. A basin will be built for each
individual lock, allowing the water to be re-used rather than flushed
out to sea. Although the sheer size of the new lock chambers will
require 65 percent more water than the existing locks, they will use 7
percent less water per transit.
The expansion project has picked up considerable momentum in the
past few months as various portions of the effort have begun. The work
on the expansion was officially inaugurated in September.
Bids
are due next month involving the first major excavation portion of the
project for he dredging of approximately 9.1 million cubic meters of
material at the Pacific entrance to the waterway. The $180 million
effort is needed to allow passage of the larger ships that will be
using the waterway when the expansion project is completed.
The Atlantic entrance dredging, estimated at $70 million, will be put to bid in 2009.
By C.J.Schexnayder
Source: Engineering News-Record
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