The Panama Canal's newest additions have recently arrived by heavylift vessel.
Built by subcontractor Cimolai, the first four gates are 57.6 metres in length, 10 metres in width and 30.2 metres in height, weighing an average of 3,100 tonnes.
They will be installed in the middle chamber of the new locks in the Atlantic side.
The steel gates will be transported to their final position using the same self-propelled motorised wheel transporters (SPMTs) that are used to load and unload them from the ship.
The new locks of the expanded Panama Canal have a total of 16 rolling gates (eight for each new lock complex). The gates are being shipped four at a time from Italy. They will be unloaded onto a temporary dock until ready for installation. Unlike the current canal, which uses miter gates, the expanded canal will have steel rolling gates.
The Panama Canal Expansion is 62 per cent complete. It involves the construction of a third lane of traffic allowing the passage of Post-Panamax vessels, which will double the canal's capacity and have an important impact in world maritime trade.