(Timelapse video of a Panama Canal crossing)

The expansion of the Panama Canal took a large stride forward this week when the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) officially awarded the first construction project to the Panamanian company Constructora Urbana S.A.

The expansion of the Panama Canal, otherwise known as the Third Set of Locks Project, will be the largest expansion to the canal since it’s construction. At the hart of the project is the construction of two new lock complexes. In addition to the new locks will be an excavation of new access channels and a widening of the existing navigation channels. The project will double the canal’s capacity and allow for greater traffic through the canal.

Map: Components of Third Set of Locks Project