From ancient times to the present day, many waterways - artificial canals - have been created in the world. The main tasks of such artificial ones are to facilitate the passage of the waterway and reduce the distance. The most famous canals are the Panama and Suez canals.
Panama Canal- an artificial waterway on the territory of Panama, crossing the Isthmus of Panama in its lowest part and connecting the Atlantic and. This is one of the most important transport waterways of international importance. The Panama Canal is considered a true marvel of engineering. One of its channels has the highest throughput in the world.
The canal stretches 50 miles from Panama (on the Pacific coast) to Colon (on the Atlantic coast). It supports the passage of over 12,000 ocean-going ships per year.
History of the Panama Canal
The discoverer of Panama, who took the first step on its land, was the Spaniard Rodrigo de Bastidas. He ended up here in 1501. On the same ship, Vasco Nunez de Balboa sailed with a group of settlers who remained in Panama.
The possibility of building a canal through Central America was mentioned already in 1550 by Antonio Galvao. He argued that this canal would significantly facilitate the passage between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. He considered the Darien Isthmus a suitable place for this - a narrow, 48-kilometer strip between Central and. , which at that time owned the American colonies, considered this proposal unprofitable, since it could undermine the country’s monopoly on land routes in these areas.
The greatest interest in this idea arose during the California Gold Rush (1848). In 1850, both countries (both countries claimed ownership of the canal) concluded the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, according to which the parties refused to acquire exclusive rights to the future canal and pledged to guarantee its neutrality. According to this treaty, both countries temporarily stopped seizing new territories around Panama. The future canal was declared open to everyone who wished to join its construction.
However, despite all the preparations, the canal began to be built, since the USA and Great Britain were not interested in cooperation, each of these countries counted only on personal ownership. I took advantage of this.
In 1878, France received a 99-year concession for the construction of the canal from, which it was part of until 1903.
In 1879, the General Interoceanic Canal Company was created under the leadership of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the builder of the Suez Waterway. Two years later, work began on its construction.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the canal took place on January 1, 1880 at the mouth. It passed under the French flag. However, in 1886 work was stopped. The difficulties seemed insurmountable. The rocky ground was incredibly hard, and the workers began to die one after another. The construction site became notorious, to the point that some groups of workers brought their own coffins with them from France. Epidemics of malaria and plague raged in the construction area. There is evidence that about 20,000 people died there.
The company went bankrupt in 1887 due to high prices, financial scams and high worker mortality. In addition, in France, thousands of shareholders were completely ruined. In May 1891, a trial took place against the owners of the company. It turned out that many officials were systematically bribed. A huge scandal broke out. The head of the company, Fernand de Lossepsa, received a 5-year prison sentence.
Work on the construction of the canal was suspended until 1905. 3 years earlier, in 1902, a new agreement was concluded between Hay and Pounceforth, which annulled the previous agreement. The French company was afraid of losing all its investments if the canal was built through and sold to the United States all rights and its property in Panama for $40 million. Thus, the United States actually received a monopoly on the construction of the canal.
On November 3, 1903, Panama announced its secession from Colombia and declared its independence. In the same year, an agreement was signed between the United States and Panama, according to which all rights to use the future canal were transferred to the States for an “indefinite period”; in return, the Americans transferred to Panama those located in the canal zone (Perico, Naos, Culebra, Flamenco)
In 1905, an expert council appointed by President Roosevelt recommended building a lockless canal, but Congress, taking into account the mistakes of French construction, adopted a project with locks. The work on building the canal included many elements. It was necessary not only to lay the waterway itself, but also to build ports at both ends, as well as build breakwaters, dams, locks, etc. Much of the road between Colon and Panama City also had to be rebuilt.
At first, the work was carried out under the direction of civil engineers, but from 1907 the construction was taken over by the War Ministry. The French, who began construction, excavated 23 million cubic meters of earth along the canal route; North Americans still had 208 million left to take out.
Construction, with interruptions, lasted almost 40 years. The first ship passed through the Isthmus of Panama on August 15, 1914, but the discovery went unnoticed by the whole world as World War I was in progress. The canal began to operate at full capacity after the official opening on June 12, 1920. According to government sources, the construction of the canal cost $380 million.
In 1935, the volume was increased by the construction of the Madden Dam in the upper reaches of Chagres, which led to the appearance of the lake.
Over the years, Panama continued to lobby the United States to repeal certain provisions of the treaty. In the end, the States relented. The US administration ceased to manage the Panama Canal, this happened on December 31, 1999, management passed to the Panamanian administration Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP).
Features of the Panama Canal
The length of the canal is 82.4 kilometers. Contrary to the general impression, it does not go in a straight line from east to west, but bends. This is due to the geography of the Isthmus of Panama. The canal heads southeast from Colon to , ending near Panama City on the Pacific Ocean.
From the huge breakwaters in Limon Bay, ships go to three Gatun locks, where they are raised to a height of 26 meters to the artificial Lake Gatun. Behind this lake, on a canal 150 meters wide, there are other locks. There, ships descend first 9 and then 16.5 meters to sea level and enter the Pacific port, protected by giant breakwaters.
The length of the Panama Canal is 81.6 km, including 65.2 km on land and 16.4 km along the bottom of the Panama and Limon bays.
All gateways are double-sided. They are 305 meters high and 34 meters wide, and they are designed so that ships coming from opposite directions can sail past each other. The thickness of the huge steel gates of these gateways is 2.1 meters, and the height is up to 25 meters. Small diesel engines, moving along the walls, slowly guide the ship through the lock. Typically six such machines are required per vessel.
The transit time for ships through the Panama Canal is 7-8 hours, the minimum is 4 hours. The average throughput is 36 vessels, the maximum is 48 vessels per day.
Panama Canal now
The channel is constantly being improved. To achieve this, the Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP) currently employs more than 9,000 workers.
There is an investment program that provides for more than a billion dollars of investment for the reconstruction and renewal of the canal. It is planned to purchase additional locomotives for towing ships through the locks, as well as to replace the old lock gates with more modern ones, with a built-in system for monitoring the condition of the gates.
In 2004, work was completed to expand the Panama Canal. The narrowest section at 13 km, called the Gaillard Cut, has increased by approximately 40 meters. Now two ships can pass through this place at the same time. As a result, channel capacity is expected to increase by 20%. The construction of three new dams for new lakes is planned soon, which will increase the amount of water in the canal, as well as create a new source of drinking water and hydroelectric energy for the country.
The world is full of amazing buildings and structures built by the best engineers in history. Among the most important structures in human history is the Panama Canal. This shipping canal acts as a bridge between the Pacific and Atlantic zones, which greatly facilitated trade by sea. For example, a ship traveling between San Francisco and New York had to travel 14,000 miles, but the Panama Canal reduced that distance to 6,000 miles. Construction was started by the French in the 19th century, but they were never able to complete the project due to various problems. The American government took over the project in 1904 and completed it a decade later, making history. The canal is now managed by the Panamanian government.
The Panama Canal not only benefits traders by facilitating the transit of goods, but is also important from a tourism perspective. Canal cruises are very popular and if you are planning to visit this area then don't miss the chance to travel along the canal on a cruise ship. During this trip you will be able to explore the many exotic attractions of Panama. Travel agencies will offer you hundreds of different cruise packages, including a number of popular ports such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, etc. This tour will allow you to see some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and visit exotic Panama City. 
History of the Channel
In fact, the history of the canal goes back much deeper - to the 16th century. In 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa became the first European to notice the extremely thin Isthmus of Panama separating the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Balboa's discovery sparked the search for a natural waterway linking the two oceans. In 1534, after no natural route was found, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V ordered an investigation into the possibility of constructing a canal. Inspectors ultimately decided that construction of a shipping canal in these areas was not possible. 
Start of construction
An interesting fact in the history of the Panama Canal is another construction attempt undertaken by the designer of the Suez Canal. No serious construction attempts were made until the 1880s. In 1881, the French company of Ferdinand de Lesseps, designer of the Suez Canal in Egypt, began digging a canal through Panama. The project was plagued by poor planning, technical problems and tropical diseases that killed thousands of workers. De Lessep intended to build a canal at sea level, in the image of Suez, without any locks. But the excavation process turned out to be much more difficult than expected. Gustave Eiffel, who designed the famous tower in Paris, was hired to create the locks, but De Lessep's company went bankrupt in 1889. At the time, the French had unprofitably invested more than $260 million in the construction, excavating more than 70 million cubic meters of earth. 
The collapse of the enterprise caused a big scandal in France. De Lessep and his son Charles, along with Eiffel and several other company executives, were accused of embezzlement, mismanagement and fraud. In 1893 they were found guilty, sentenced to prison and fined. After the scandal, Eiffel retired from business and devoted himself to scientific research. A new French company was created to take over the assets of the failed business and continue the channel, but it soon followed the same path. 
During the 1800s, the United States was also interested in building a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. For both economic and military reasons, they considered Nicaragua a more advantageous location than Panama. However, this plan was abandoned thanks to the efforts of Philippe-Jean Bounau-Varilla, a French engineer who was involved in both French canal projects. In the late 1890s, Buno-Varilla began lobbying American legislators to purchase French canal assets in Panama, and eventually convinced many that Nicaragua had dangerous volcanoes and Panama was a less dangerous option. 
In 1902, Congress authorized the purchase of French assets of the Panama Canal. But Colombia, of which Panama was a part at the time, refused to ratify the agreement. With the support of Buno-Varilla and the tacit approval of President Theodore Roosevelt, Panama rebelled against Colombia and declared independence. After this, US Secretary of State John Hay and Buno-Varilla, as representative of the provisional government of Panama, agreed on the Hay-Buno-Varilla Agreement, which gave America the right to an area greater than 500 square miles in which a canal could be built. According to the agreement, the channel was completely transferred to the control of the Americans. It was agreed that the United States would shell out approximately $375 million for construction, including a $10 million payment to Panama, and $40 million to buy out French assets. 
A century after the United States completed the Panama Canal, shipping connections through Nicaragua still remain possible: In 2013, a Chinese company announced a $40 billion agreement with the Nicaraguan government for the right to build such a waterway. 
Death of workers
More than 25,000 workers officially died during the construction of the Panama Canal. The canal's builders faced many obstacles, including difficult terrain, hot, humid weather, heavy rain, and rampant tropical diseases. Earlier French efforts resulted in the death of more than 20,000 workers, and American efforts fared little better—between 1904 and 1913, about 5,600 workers died due to illnesses or accidents. 
Many of these earlier deaths were caused by yellow fever and malaria. According to doctors of the time, these diseases were caused by polluted air and poor conditions. By the early 20th century, however, medical experts had uncovered the key role mosquitoes played in transmitting these diseases, allowing them to significantly reduce the number of worker deaths. Special sanitary measures were carried out, which included draining swamps and ponds, removing possible insect spawning grounds and installing protective screens on windows in buildings. 
Capacity of the Panama Canal
Between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the canal every year.
American ships use the canal the most, pursued by China, Chile, Japan, Colombia and South Korea. Each ship transiting through the canal must pay a fee based on its size and cargo volume. The fee for the largest vessels can reach approximately $450,000. The smallest toll ever paid was 36 cents, paid in 1928 by American adventurer Richard Halliburton, who conquered the canal. Today, approximately $1.8 billion in tariffs are collected annually. 
On average, a ship takes 8 to 10 hours to pass through the canal. Moving through it, a system of locks lifts each vessel 85 feet above sea level. Ship captains are not allowed to take control during transit; instead, specially trained personnel take over control. In 2010, the millionth ship crossed the canal since its opening. 
Who controls the Panama Canal?
The United States transferred control of the canal to Panama in 1999. In the years following the canal's opening, relations between America and Panama became tense. Questions arose about control over the canal itself and the area adjacent to it. In 1964, Panamanians rioted because they were not allowed to fly the Panamanian national flag next to the US flag in the canal zone. Following the uprising, Panama temporarily broke off diplomatic relations with the United States. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter and General Omar Torrijos signed agreements transferring control of the canal to Panama as of 1999, but giving the United States the right to use a force to defend the waterway from any threat to its neutrality. Despite the discontent of many politicians who did not want their country to lose its authority over the canal, the US Senate ratified the Torrijos-Carter Accords in 1978. Control was transferred peacefully to Panama in December 1999. 
Expansion of the Panama Canal
IN this moment The canal is being expanded to accommodate modern megaships. Work on the expansion began in 2007 at a cost of $5.25 billion, which will allow the canal to accommodate post-Panamax vessels. These vessels are larger than the so-called Panamaxes, which are built to fit the dimensions of the canal. The expanded canal will be able to accommodate cargo ships carrying 14,000 20-foot containers, nearly three times its current volume. The expansion project will be completed at the end of 2015, but the canal will still not be able to accommodate some of the world's largest container ships.
Approximately 236.4 million liters of fresh water are used for the passage of one ship through the Panama Canal. The water comes from Lake Gatun, formed during the construction of the canal by damming the Chagres River. With an area of 262 square kilometers, Gatun was once the largest artificial lake in the world.
The Panama Canal is a shipping canal connecting the Bay of Panama with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Panama Canal is a route for ships carrying global cargo. On the world map it connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic and Caribbean Seas.
Thanks to the construction of the canal, ships do not bypass Latin America to get to San Francisco. The route from New York is less than 10 thousand km. The Panama Canal (located in Panama on the world map) serves for yachts, boats and large tankers. Its width is a standard in shipbuilding.
Vessels that are not large enough to pass through the canal bypass South America. It handles up to 48 tankers per day; completion takes 9 hours (minimum 4 hours); More than 10 thousand ships pass annually.
The first person to notice that a small isthmus separates two oceans was the Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa in the 16th century. The idea of creating a water artery did not arise then.
Start of construction
In 1534, by order of the King of Spain, Charles V, a shortcut was discovered between the countries of Spain and Peru. This was beneficial for the Spaniards during the war. Due to undeveloped technology and knowledge in the 16th century. construction was not carried out. In the 18th century A researcher from Italy, Alesandro Malaspina, had a plan to create a canal, but it was not started.
In 1879, the French laid the foundation for the canal. Ferdinand de Lesseps and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (creator of the Eiffel Tower) started the work. The French government allocated cash, but a third of them were spent for their intended purpose; the rest was plundered.
At the start of work, it was decided to build the canal at sea level; the idea of building locks was rejected, which was one of the reasons for the failure of the project.
More than 20 thousand workers died from diseases and tragic accidents. Work was suspended. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel and Ferdinand de Lesseps were accused of embezzlement of material assets. The latter died from attacks and mental disorders in 1894.
Late 19th – early 20th century
Throughout the 19th century, the United States considered the construction of the Panama or Nicaraguan canals: the implementation of the latter project seemed more profitable. France did not have the opportunity to continue creating the canal, so the American government bought the rights, equipment and work performed for $40 thousand.
The only method to obtain the canal is Panama's independence from Colombia.
In the fall of 1903, US ships appear in Colombian waters, and the streets are filled with civil activists advocating for sovereignty. On November 4, the Independent Republic of Panama came into existence. whose authorities give the riverbed and adjacent lands to the American government.
Construction began with the preparation of the nearby territory: the Americans drained the swamps, cut down the thickets, destroyed insects and their larvae. The risk of fever was reduced to 2%, work began in 1904. The process of creating the canal accelerated as American builders began by constructing locks and reservoirs.
US President Thomas Woodrow Wilson completed the construction by pressing a button to blow up the last barrier near the village of Gamboa on October 10, 1913. The work lasted 9 years. The Panama Canal (on the world map flowing into the Atlantic Ocean) received the ship Cristobal on August 3, 1914.
Transfer of control to the Panamanian government
After the channel's discovery, American and Panamanian authorities argued over ownership. In the latter, there were uprisings when the authorities were not allowed to hang the Panamanian flag next to the American one on the riverbed. The Panamanian government temporarily cut off relations with America.
History of the Panama Canal:
In 1977, US President Jimmy Carter and General Omar Torrijos signed a document that transferred control to Panama from 2000. American politicians expressed dissatisfaction, but the US Senate gave the agreement legal force. The US owned the canal until December 31, 1999, and then transferred it to Panama.
Current status
Today the canal is owned by Panama. It has been modernized, expanded and deepened. The canal authority charges container ships a toll. The cost of transit is determined by the length of the vessel, displacement, and cargo transported. The cost of transportation for a large ship is $49 per 1 TEU since 2006.
The passage of the vessel itself is paid additionally.
For others, the ship's displacement affects the amount of payment:
- 1 t – 10000 t – $2.96;
- each of the next 10 thousand tons – $2.90;
- each subsequent ton is $2.85.
Length is a determining factor for small ships:
| Length | Bid |
| ≤ 14 m | $500 |
| 14 m–28 m | $750 |
| 28 m–36 m | $2000 |
| ≥36 m | $2500 |
The passage of one huge container ship can cost half a million dollars. The cheapest freight was 36 cents to Richard Halliburton in 1928.
The Panama Canal on the world map connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean passing through the Caribbean Sea The Panama Canal is one of the wonders created by man, a tourist site, and not just an isthmus connecting 2 oceans. Museums have been built in cities located near the locks. Contains exhibits and documents telling about the process of creating the water artery. Near the canal, platforms have been built from which the operation of the sea route can be observed.
Channel configuration
The shape of the channel is similar to the letter “S”. It consists of lakes, deep rivers and ditches created by man. To level the water level of the canal, locks are needed (a difference of 26 m). As a ship passes along the sea route, the water in the canal increases or decreases.
The fairway is equipped with 2 groups of locks. They are double-stranded - they transport ships in both directions, but more often they go in one direction. The capacity of each lock is over 100 thousand cubic meters. m of water; width – 34 m, length – 304 m, depth – 12 m. A gateway of 3 chambers (“Gatun”) is located from the Atlantic, connecting Lake Gatun and Limon Bay.
Lifting of vessels is 26 m to the lake level. The gateway is equipped with a camera.
From the Pacific Ocean there is a gateway of 2 Miraflores chambers; connects the channel and Panama Bay. Equipped with a video camera that broadcasts the operation of the gateway via the Internet. Together with the Miraflores gateway, the Pedro Miguel gateway operates.
The Panama Canal on the world map is located near the settlements of the same name.
Work on the creation of the 3rd line of locks began 11 years ago in order to increase the transit of ships in the waterway. The length of the new structure is 427 m, width – 55 m, depth – 18 m. Since 2017, the canal has received twice as many ships and tankers.
Tourists watch the system work while traveling (a road and railway run parallel to the canal) or book a tour ($10). The Miraflores lock is open to travelers. They get to the building by taxi or bus for 25 cents. The excursion includes a visit to the museum and observation deck.
By speakerphone information about the operation of the system is announced.
Channel expansion
The need to expand the Panama Canal arose due to the increase in trade volumes. On October 23, 2006, as a result of a vote to expand the waterway, about 80% of Panamanians supported the plan. With control of the channel, Chinese business companies contributed to the development of the project.
In 2016, it became possible for oil tankers with a displacement of more than 100 thousand tons to pass through. The delivery time for oil from Venezuela to China has decreased, and the Venezuelan authorities' promises of supplies of about 1 million barrels per day have come true.
The reconstruction project involved: deepening the bottom, building additional locks, and increasing the number of ships passing through the waterway. After modernization, vessels with a displacement of about 150 thousand tons enter the fairway; the number of tankers and ships is 19 thousand ships per year.
The expansion plan cost $5 billion.
Changes in the riverbed have a positive effect on the country’s budget: by 2017, the profit was $2.5 billion, by 2025 it will reach $4 billion. The Panamanian authorities entrusted the work to the community, the main participant of which was the Spanish enterprise. The start was planned for 2009; completion of construction – 2014
April 2015 – installation of the last locks, which meant the end of the reconstruction. The modernization of the fairway has been called historic by Panamanian authorities. June 26, 2016 – passage of a Chinese container ship through the updated waterway.
Interesting facts about the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal on the world map is a little visible isthmus between two continents; in 2014 it celebrated its centenary. The event was timed to coincide with the release of a book about the construction of the sea route “You Are a Miracle”, the film “Stories about the Canal”, and a change in the logo of the operating company “Canal de Palma”.
- The name of the headdress - Panama - comes from the name of the channel. The waterway builders wore these hats to protect themselves from the sun's rays. Panama is an element of the national clothing of the inhabitants of Ecuador; the primary name is Ecuadorian.
- The construction of a “twin” canal in Nicaragua has been approved. The lake through which the channel will be laid is a source of fresh water, so experts are concerned about its condition.
- Currently, the Panama Canal receives the world's most important vessels, which generates income for Panama for its maintenance.
- Waterway locks operate 24 hours a day With high level productivity, since the passage of large-capacity vessels occurs non-stop.
- The Panama Canal is the longest man-made canal in the world.
- "Universal measuring system Panama Canal" determines the cost of transporting cargo using a mathematical formula.
- The total number of operating gateways is 12.
- The continued safe passage of ships is governed by a number of rules. So, the agent announces the arrival of the tanker and prepares documents for registration. When approaching, the ship communicates with the coordinator through signal stations. Specialists conduct a preliminary inspection of the ship in the Pacific or Atlantic hangars. All elements of equipment and auxiliary vehicles must be in good working order so as not to delay transit.
- The narrowest and steepest place in the riverbed is the Culebra notch.
- The Panama Canal Authority gives the "Honorary Captain" award to those who pass through the waterway 100 times. In 2015, the Russian commander of the ship, Anatoly Rubanov, was awarded the title.
The Panama Canal is one of the wonders of construction in the history of mankind. It connects the Caribbean Sea with the 2 largest oceans on the world map and makes a significant contribution to the economy of Panama.
Article format: E. Chaikina
Useful video about the Panama Canal
Documentary about the Panama Canal from Discovery:
95 years ago (1914) the Panama Canal was opened.
By 1882 it was actually done preparatory work for the construction of an open, non-sluice-type canal. But Lesseps' company went bankrupt and receivership was appointed in 1889.
In 1894, a new French company for the construction of the Panama Canal was formed, which began working on the construction of a lock canal, and in 1904 the company was sold to the US government for $40 million. In 1903, the Republic of Panama became independent from Colombia and in 1904 the United States agreed with the government of Panama on a perpetual lease of the canal zone, which constitutes a strip of 16 km wide, for an amount of 10 million dollars and an annual fee of 250 thousand dollars.
This amount subsequently increased several times, reaching $110 million in 1998.
Construction of the Panama Canal lasted 11 years. The cost of its construction was $220 million. During the construction of the canal, technical solutions that were unique for that time were used. The canal was built as a six-stage lock passage through the mountainous Isthmus of Panama and ran in a northwest to southeast direction from the Atlantic port of Cristobal and the city of Colon to the port of Balboai in Panama on the Pacific coast.
The name of which means “many, many fish”.
Just a few years after its founding, the city became the starting point for the exploration and conquest of Peru and the entrepôt point for sending gold and silver to Spain across the isthmus.
In 1671, Henry Morgan with a team of 1,400 men besieged and plundered the city, which was then destroyed by fire. The ruins of the old city are still preserved and are called Panama la Vieja. The city was rebuilt in 1673 on a new site seven kilometers southwest of the original city. This place is now known as Casco Viejo.
For many years the city prospered due to its location, but the construction of the canal made it truly strategic.
During World War II, US military bases were built here.
From the late 1970s and into the 1980s, Panama City became an international banking center, including a center for illegal money laundering. In 1989, US President George H. W. Bush ordered the invasion of Panama to overthrow its leader, General Manuel Antonio Noriega. As a result of this action, an entire block of Panama, consisting of partly wooden buildings from the 1900s, was destroyed by fires.
Currently, Panama is a developed and modern city, with most of the population engaged in banking and insurance. The city is also an attractive tourist center. 
Photo: Chris Taylor 
One Hundred Years of Shipping
The initiative to build the Panama Canal belonged to France, so in 1879 it bought the concession for 10 million francs and began construction. But construction proceeded sluggishly, several factors contributed to this: an incorrect project (Ferdinand Lesseps insisted that the canal be dug at sea level, later this plan had to be abandoned in favor of a gateway), poor management of the organization of work, ineffective financing (only a third allocated funds were used for construction), as well as an epidemic of malaria and yellow fever, which, according to some sources, killed up to 20 thousand people. Thus, by 1888 only a third of the work had been completed, and the costs ($300 million) were twice as high as planned, construction was stopped, and this was followed by the famous scandal in France in 1892-1893.
After some time, the United States began to actively claim a monopoly over the canal. In 1901, the United States entered into the Hay-Pouncefoot Treaty with Great Britain, according to which the States received the exclusive right to construct this canal without the participation of Great Britain, but a problem arose with the concession from Colombia, since the concession agreement with the French company expired only in 1904, and according to the terms it was certain that if the canal did not begin to function by that time, then all the structures erected by the company would go free of charge to Columbia. Interested parties in France and the United States now saw the only way out for the state of Panama to separate from Colombia and, as an independent state, formalize the legal transfer of the concession to the United States. The Frenchman Bunau-Varilla led the separatist movement and, with the assistance of the US navy, carried out the secession of Panama on November 4, 1903; On November 18, on behalf of the “Independent Republic of Panama,” he signed with the United States. 
Solving the problem with malaria and yellow fever (this required: burning 30 square kilometers of bushes and small trees, cutting and burning grass in the same area, draining a million square yards (80 hectares) of swamps, digging 250 thousand feet (76 km) of drainage ditches and rebuilding 2 million feet (600 km) of old ditches, spraying 150 thousand gallons (570 thousand liters) of oils that kill mosquito larvae in breeding areas, canal construction began in 1904. This time the right design was chosen: locks and lakes. construction took 10 years, $400 million and 70 thousand workers, of whom, according to American data, about 5,600 people died.
On the morning of October 13, 1913, US President Thomas Woodrow Wilson, in the presence of numerous high-ranking guests gathered at the White House, went to a special table and pressed a gilded button with a majestic gesture. And at the same instant, a powerful explosion shook the humid tropical air four thousand kilometers from Washington, on the Isthmus of Panama. Twenty thousand kilograms of dynamite destroyed the last barrier separating the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans near the city of Gamboa. A four thousand kilometer long cable, specially laid from the jumper at Gamboa to the White House, obediently carried out the will of the president.
The first ship (an ocean-going steamer) passed along the canal on August 15, 1914, but a large landslide in October prevented the opening of traffic in the same 1914.
The official opening of the canal took place only on June 12, 1920. 
Due to the American presence, until the late 1960s, Panamanians had limited or no access to many areas of the Panama Canal until December 31, 1999, when it was handed over to the Panamanian government. 
Photo: Nerijus Lostinhdr 
The fee rate was $2.96 per ton up to 10 thousand tons, $2.90 for each of the subsequent 10 thousand tons and $2.85 for each subsequent ton.
The amount of dues for small vessels is calculated based on their length:
Up to 15.24 m (50 ft): $500.
From 15.24 m (50 ft) to 24,384 m (80 ft): $750.
From 24.384 m (80 ft) to 30.48 m (100 ft): $2000.
Over 30.48 m (100 ft): $2500.
However, soon the Panama Canal will have a competitor - the Nicaraguan Canal (Hong Kong company HKND Group). It is expected that the depth of the canal will be 26-30 meters, width - 230-530 meters, and length - 278 kilometers (including 105 in the waters of Lake Nicaragua), versus 81.6 km (including 65.2 km by land length), total width- 150 meters (the width of the lock chambers is 33 meters) and depth - 12 meters of Panama, construction will begin in December 2014. Commencement of operation in 2019. Completion of construction in 2029.