Panama Canal expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Panama Canal expansion - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that most infrastructural mega projects are prone to suffer from cost overruns, delays, poor performance or inability to give customer satisfaction if inadequately managed. Interaction of several factors such as governance of such projects, their financing, human management, and financing can cause complexities which can either promote their success or inhibit it depending on how they are approached. It is, therefore, crucial for project managers to thus critically analyze a mega project before undertaking it. This report takes an in-depth assessment of the expansion of the Panama Canal which is one of the busiest waterways internationally. Panama expansion project is also of key interest given that it plays a critical role in maritime trade and brings together international concerns. The initial construction of Panama Canal went underway in 1880 under the leadership of Ferdinand de Lesseps who built Suez Canal. This was a large scale proje ct undertaken by people who had little prior experience in canal construction. They faced several challenges including minimal workforce, diseases and lack of funding. The geology of the region also posed a challenge to the construction work. A second company, the Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal de Panama, was contracted to complete the construction. After the American government the requested French machinery for construction, work officially began in 1904. Despite the challenges encountered in constructing the canal, Panama Canal was completed a decade later.