The Heavy Lift vessel Sun Rise (formerly named STX Rose 2), arrived in Cristobal, Panama on Aug 19 with the first four of the sixteen new lock gates for the Panama Canal expansion programme. With its name change executed just prior to departure, the vessel left the Italian port of Trieste on 22-July.
On the way it passed just 15 miles south of the historic Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua as it entered the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean ea for the last leg of the journey.
According to a Panama Canal Authority press release dated 25-July-2013, the gates, weighing an average of 3,300 tons each, were constructed in Italy by subcontractor Cimolai S.P.A. and unlike the mitre gates currently in use, are designed to roll into place.
As shown in the following MarineTraffic.com screen shot, the site where the gates are being offloaded is at the entrance of the new lock currently under construction.
Video showing arrival of Gates aboard Sun Rise
Video showing the process used to load/unload and transport Gates
Gates being manufactured
The Panama Canal Expansion project will facilitate the passage of much larger ships (refered to as Post Panamax class) and is scheduled to be completed in 2015. The following Panama Canal Authority video gives an insight on the progress being made on the project.
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