Panama Canal to Host International Engineering and Infrastructure Congress

News Release Panama Canal Authority April 14, 2012

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Engineering
and Infrastructure Congress

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CONGRESS WILL CONVENE WORLD-RENOWNED
ENGINEERING EXPERTS INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE CANAL EXPANSION SITE
VISIT</UL></UL>

PANAMA CITY,
Panama, April 11, 2012 - The Panama Canal
Authority will host its first-ever best practices Engineering and Infrastructure
Congress.  Convening this Congress is an effort to share best practices and
detailed, practical, hands-on experience related to managing a significant
infrastructure project.  Engineering experts from 10 countries will
meet in Panama to exchange the latest tendencies and experiences in the industry
at the international level.

Occurring April 18-20, 2012
in Panama City, Panama, the congress will gather world-renowned experts in the
fields of geotechnical, electrical, structural and civil engineering. In
addition, it will showcase infrastructure projects from around the world and
update attendees on the progress of the Canal Expansion
Program.
The Panama Canal 2012
International Engineering and Infrastructure Congress will provide updated
information on all of the elements of expansion, including the financing of the
program. Twelve tracks comprised of topics such as engineering best practices,
world infrastructure projects and future engineering trends will round out the
agenda for the first two days. 
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Engineers will speak about lock design experience, planning
prerequisites for successful projects and the latest design technology. 


Steven L. Stockton will speak about Managing Mega-Infrastructure
Projects.  Stockton serves as the Director of Civil Works, Headquarters,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C. In this position he is
responsible for managing and directing the policy development, programming,
planning, design, construction, emergency response, operation, and maintenance
activities of the Army Civil Works Program, a $5 billion annual program of water
and related land resources of the United States. He also serves as Chairman of
the U.S. Section Permanent Engineering Board for the U.S.-Canada Columbia River
Treaty, and is a Governor on the World Water Council Board of
Governors.
CH2M HILL CEO Lee McIntire
will highlight the company's customizable approach to program management on some
of the world's largest infrastructure projects. From the London 2012 Olympic
venues and infrastructure to Mumbai, India's Chhatrapati Shivaji International
Airport and the Panama Canal expansion, CH2M HILL is helping project owners and
communities around the world meet their most challenging goals.  McIntire
will discuss the essential problem-solving role of engineers and highlight the
company's approach to program management on some of the world's largest
infrastructure projects. 
Mr. Fredric S. Berger will
present the challenges of building the asphalt ribbon of Afghanistan.  His
four decade commitment to and involvement in sustainable economic development
began in Nigeria in 1972. Since then, Mr. Berger´s involvement with development
work, primarily in the transport sector, has spanned all four LDC continents and
includes technical contributions to or active supervision of projects in some 70
countries. Mr. Berger became Chairman of The Louis Berger Group, Inc. (LBG) in
2007, the same year he was honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers
with their OPAL award. He holds a BA in Economics from Tufts University and a
Masters in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He
is licensed as a professional engineer in the District of Columbia and eight
states.
CANAL EXPANSION
On
April 20, 2012 the Panama Canal Authority will invite participants to visit the
Canal expansion sites and see the work firsthand.

"For
97 years, the Panama Canal has served as a pathway for major world commodities.
With the completion of the waterway's expansion, it will become a game-changer
in world trade dynamics," said Mr. Alemán Zubieta. "This is a fundamental
project of global importance. Expansion will change the way in which the world
trades, increase the advantages of the route and reaffirm our commitment to the
interoceanic waterway."
Expansion involves building
a new lane of traffic along the waterway through the construction of a new set
of locks, which will allow more traffic and double Canal capacity. Expansion
will tighten the global supply chain and help get goods to market faster, thus
saving time and money for both producers and consumers.
For more information on the
Panama Canal 2012 International Engineering and Infrastructure Congress
visit: <A
href="redir.aspx?C=ed66b1fa0e684bf99fe62705e484fd28&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pancanal.com%2fcanalcongress"
target=_blank>www.pancanal.com/canalcongress</A>. 
About the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) The ACP is the
autonomous agency of the Government of Panama in charge of managing, operating
and maintaining the Panama Canal. The operation of the ACP is based on its
organic law and the regulations approved by its Board of Directors. For more
information, please refer to the ACP's Web site:
<A
href="redir.aspx?C=ed66b1fa0e684bf99fe62705e484fd28&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pancanal.com"
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