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Article: Panama Canal Expansion Likely to Pass
- Article from:
- AP Online
- Article date:
- October 22, 2006
CopyrightCopyright 2006 Associated Press/AP Online. This material is published under license from the publisher through YellowBrix, Alexandria, Virginia. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to YellowBrix. (Hide copyright information)
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PANAMA CITY, Panama - A referendum to expand the Panama Canal appeared headed for easy approval Sunday, as thousands of supporters in green "Yes" T-shirts cast ballots endorsing the largest modernization project in the 92-year history of the shortcut between the seas.
Polls showed Panamanians overwhelmingly support the $5.25 billion upgrade.
The overhaul would allow the canal to handle modern container ships, cruise liners and tankers that are too large for its current 108-foot-wide locks by building a third set of locks on the Pacific and Atlantic ends by 2015.
The Panama Canal Authority, the autonomous government agency that runs the canal, says the project will double capacity of a ...