The Panama Canal consists of three locks. Miraflores is the furthest west near the Port of Balboa. It connects to a 1.1 mile artificial lake by the same name. The water levels are controlled with seven foot thick gates. In the background is a ship waiting to be lowered 54 feet in two stages so it can continue its journey to the Pacific Ocean. Until 2016, ships could only travel through the canal one-direction at a time. The completion of the Panama Canal expansion project doubled the capacity.
