Canal length82,000 m
9.27Mount Everests
410,000Brick lengths
1.6 millionAA battery lengths
82 km
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Panama Canal (New Locks)
The shortcut that changed world trade forever/Engineering Marvels
The Panama Canal cuts through 82 km of the Isthmus of Panama, saving ships a 12,000 km journey around South America. The expanded locks, completed in 2016, can handle ships up to 366 meters long. About 14,000 ships transit the canal each year, carrying roughly 5% of world trade. The original construction cost over 25,000 lives.
Measurements
Lock chamber length (new)427 m
53,375Ladybugs
4,402Softball circumferences
4,744French fry lengths
Lock chamber width (new)55 m
18.3Diving boards
2.9 tenthsGateway Arch heights
6,875Ladybugs
Maximum ship length366 m
6,100Stacked hamsters
249Necktie lengths
6,421Rubik's cubes
Neopanamax
Water per lockage200,000 m^3
7.1 millionMicrowave ovens
6 billionPing pong balls
New locks, 60% recycled
Transit time36,000 s
2.9 thousandthsSemesters
240Popcorn bags
1.25Workdays
About 10 hours