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The crack formed in what is known as the sill of the new Cocoli Locks on the Panama Canal’s Pacific side. Video shows water seaping through the concrete across the width of the chamber near the top of the sill, just below one of the giant rolling gates that forms the barrier between lock chambers.

Teams from contractor Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) and the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) met Saturday to discuss the scope of the problem and solutions.

The ACP has said that they will not accept anything less than perfect for the project. “The ACP will not accept the work of (the expanded canal) flawed,” the ACP tweeted Friday after learning of the issues. “The contractor must repair to the satisfaction imperfections and defects detected in the testing period we are conducting,” the ACP said in another tweet.

GUPC addressed the issue via Twitter on Friday after photos of the crack began circulating online.

Neither the ACP or GUPC have said what the problems could mean for the delivery of the project currently scheduled for April 2016.

GUPC began filling the Cocoli lock with water in June and the barrier separating the new lock from the water of the Pacific Ocean was just removed this last week .





The Panama Canal expansion involves the construction of a ‘Third Set of Locks’ that will allow larger ships to transit. The project, costing more than $5 billion, now stands at more than 90% complete.