Sea Level Interoceanic Canal for Colombia

SEA LEVEL INTEROCEANIC CANAL OF COLOMBIA -   SUMMARY

1. Frederick M. Kelly of New York sponsored four expeditions searching for the sea level interoceanic canal.  In 1884 the fourth expedition commanded by Captain William Kennish found the route starting on the Pacific at 7°N.   The Paracuchichi inlet was discovered to be the lowest point of the Baudó range. 

Capitain Kennish crossed over and found the Nercua and Truandó Rivers.  He followed them to the Atrato River and then to the Atlantic Ocean.  Kennish recommended two tunnels to cross the mountain, the rest of the water way was almost flat.   Their book was published in New York in 1855 and it is now in Googlebooks.  Copy of the Ilustrations taken from the original are available.

2. Lieutenant Nathaniel Michler commanded another expedition to confirm Kennish’s findings. Twenty two scientists traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific side. The findings were published by the US Congress and are now in Google books.  Copies of the illustrations are available from the Library of Congress. 

3. The USA Committee for the Interoceanic Canal evaluated with the USACE thirty possible sites for an interoceanic canal.  They concluded that Route #25 (Atrato-Truandó Rivers) is the only place for a sea level ship canal.  Nuclear explosions were considered but rejected.

4.The COLOMBIAN LAW IN 1964 ordered the construction of the Interoceanic Sea Level Canal. Studies were made by Tippets-Abbee McCarty, Straton of New York. This company is not longer in existence and the studies were lost in the Archives. 

A Topographic map scale 1:25.000 is available from the Colombian Geographic Agency “Instituto Agustin Codazzi.”

5. A second law in 1984 ordered the construction of the Atrato-Truandó Canal.

A brochure by Mendoza Morales, A. et al is the only document that was left. 

6. Beginning in 2012 our group began exploring the possibility of building the interoceanic sea level canal and we have found all the pertinent information which is summarized here.  There is an alternative to use the Atrato River, by digging a parallel canal after crossing the Baudó range in straight line to Tarena.

7. The Chocó communities will allow the construction of the interoceanic sea level canal, providing that a communication between the San Juan and the Atrato Rivers is made. It is only 46 km of soft terrain, a route joining the San Juan River to the San Pablo Creek by a 5 km canal. The construction of one 13 meter lock and dredging of the San Pablo and Quito Rivers for 400 ton ships is required. 

8. Experience with the Panama Canal construction: The failure of the French that used a decovil to narrow the rail gauge to remove earth from the Culebra Cut and the success of the USA by using the Panama rail road, indicated the need for a  standard gauge electric railroad parallel to the canal on the East side of the waterway.

9. To provide electricity for the Railroad, a Tidal Energy Center in Juradó, Choco is advised.  The high tides of 4,20 meters can provide 200MW . 

10. Two ports in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with all facilities are part of the plan. 

To comply with the Colombian Law for Public Private Associations, a first draft of the Canal, and a Business Plan needs to be submitted to the 'Departamento Nacional de Planeacion' for approval.

Government may contribute with 20% of the budget.  

There is a group in Bogotá working on the Napipi River project.  Two sixteen kilometer tunnels have been proposed instead of the open 3 miles long, 900' high  cut that we are proposing. 

The estimated cost of the project will be ten billion dollars ($10B).  If a toll charge of one dollar per ton is made, and 10.000 ships cross the interoceanic sea level canal of Colombia every year, the capital and interest will be paid in a few years.