McETN (@McETN)

Alternative Panama Canal suggestions America's highest priority strait https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal Problem 1: Gatun Lake low on capacity due to drought Canal locks depend on lake water to operate, low capacity means reduced traffic capacity. Problem 2: Mixing of sea water and lake water pollutes Gatun reservoir, can't use entirely sea water to operate locks. Solution 1: Build a dry lock to separate waters... A robotic cradle accepts any ship, supports it without water. Lock is drained dry of retreating sea, isolating Atlantic & Pacific waters, refloating with advancing sea. Robotic design suggestion: a steel frame supports a matrix of heavy-duty bladders, filled/unfilled with clean water, ship rests on them. Panama Canal as presently operated requires two such locks since there is no single highest elevation. Solution 2: Construct a new canal with state-of-the-art excavation machines. a in Panama near Punta Escoces, across Serrania del Darien (high point) thence across the lowlands to Golfo de San Miguel estuary. b south of Darien Gap (which is a ridge crest), in north Colombia with a single high-elevation for said dry lock. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dari%C3%A9n_Gap See Rio Atrato, exit to Golfo de Cupica, undeveloped territory. https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=rio+atrato+colombia&iaxm=maps&source=places&iai=11533299168701069612