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Panama Canal lock gate shipment sets sail from Italy

Panama Canal lock gate shipment sets sail from Italy
Four new lock gates for the expanded Panama Canal have set sail from Trieste, Italy.

The second shipment of lock gates for the expanded canal onboard the vessel Sun Rise is expected to arrive in Panama in mid-June, subject to weather conditions.

"This is another important milestone towards the completion of a project that will have an important impact on the international maritime community," said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge Luis Quijano.

The expansion of the canal is currently 74% complete but has been hit by multiple delays including a national strike by construction workers in Panama and work stoppage by contractor consortium Grupo Unidos Por el Canal (GUPC) in a cost overruns dispute.

The expansion works due to be completed at the end of December 2015.