Panama Canal maintenance work aims to extend its life by a century

From their vantage point in cranes overlooking the Panama Canal, operators scrutinize the century-old walls of one of its locks as the high-pitched siren of a merchant ship resonates from nearby.

In the middle of a gigantic ditch drained of water, workers scramble to complete maintenance work in one of the chambers, or lanes, of the Pedro Miguel lock, not far from the Pacific Ocean.