The construction of the Panama Canal took around **10 years** from start to completion. The project was an incredible feat which, at the peak of excavation, saw the equivalent of a Channel Tunnel being dug out every fourteen weeks. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how the Panama Canal was built:
1. The French began work on the canal in 1881 but had to abandon the project due to engineering problems and high mortality rates from disease.
2. In 1904, the United States took over the project and began work on the canal.
3. The first step was to clear the dense jungle that covered the area where the canal would be built.
4. The next step was to build a dam across the Chagres River to create Gatun Lake.
5. The lake would serve as a reservoir for water that would be used to operate the locks of the canal.
6. The next step was to dig a channel through the mountains that separated Gatun Lake from the Pacific Ocean.
7. This involved cutting through solid rock and building locks that could raise and lower ships as they moved through the canal.
8. The final step was to build a dam across the Pacific end of the canal to create Miraflores Lake.
9. The lake would serve as another reservoir for water that would be used to operate the locks of the canal.
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