Underlying the concern over political influence are some hard truths about the canal's role in world trade. There is still a brisk demand for its services, as attested by the queue of ships visible from the strapping Bridge of the Americas at the canal's Pacific mouth. Most of it was bulk cargo. Canal officials say demand is expected to increase 20 per cent by 2015. But the canal no longer has the virtual monopoly on traffic between the Atlantic and Pacific that it had when it opened 85 years ago.
Some shippers find it easier to send containerized cargo across the United States by rail.
That makes maintenance, including dredging and lock repair, more important than ever to keep traffic moving quickly. If you drive it carefully and put genuine parts back into it, it will run pretty well. But to increase revenue without raising fees, the canal must find ways to move more ships per year through its three sets of locks and the 13-kilometre Gaillard Cut, a narrow section blasted through the Continental Divide. Locks are being overhauled, and tugboats and locomotives that tow ships along some sections of the canal are being replaced. A feasibility study is under way on a new set of electric lift locks for small and medium-sized vessels.