Ilya Espino, the canal’s deputy administrator, told AFP that unless there were heavy rains in the next three months, they were considering “a period of one year” to restrict access to the waterway.
That period would give customers “a year to plan” how to adapt.
The 50-mile (80-kilometer) byway is mainly used by customers from the United States, China and Japan, and on Thursday, about 130 boats were lined up waiting to enter, compared with the usual queue of about 90. Was
The waiting time, usually between three and five days, has sometimes increased to 19 days, although it is now around 11 days.