As the world shipping trade continues to grow, fundamental changes brought by the development of containerized cargo have led to trends for bigger ships. More than a quarter of the ships in service today cannot pass through the canal; by 2011, that number will be more than one-third. The bigger ships demand bigger locks, deeper channels and wider cuts, all of which require planning, engineering, financing and construction.

Although the $5.2 billion Third Lane Locks project will more than double the capacity of the existing canal and provide an economic engine for the further growth of Panama's maritime economy, it could also divert resources from other needs within the country if not properly developed. So, the question of how best to accomplish all of Panama's goals has been at the forefront of an intensive and exhaustive project scoping and development.

PB's advice throughout this process has been both programmatic and technical, including fundamentals such as structuring an environmental review process and scoping demand studies, along with such specifics as crafting performance specifications for the locks, assessing alternatives for structural wall systems, and methods of filling and emptying the locks. In addition, the firm provided cost estimates and schedules for the Atlantic and Pacific locks and the access channels; mapped out the optimal delivery strategy for the locks project; and conducted constructability workshops.