Panama Canal seeks bids for dredging Pacific entrance

THE Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is seeking proposals for the dredging of the canal's Pacific entrance.

This will deepen and widen the canal's entrance, involving the removal of 9.1 million cubic metres of earth, widening the nine-mile channel by 218 metres, and deepening them to 15.5 metres at low water.

"The Pacific side's geological characteristics make it more challenging than the Atlantic side. We will need a firm with the specialised equipment and experience to meet the demands of the project," said ACP project manager John Langman.

Bids to dredge the Pacific entrance are due by the end of next January. The ACP will ultimately evaluate proposals that meet the project's needs based on a combination of best value and individual consultations with bidding firms.

Ultimately, the expansion work will build a new lane of traffic along the Panama Canal to double its capacity.