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First ship to use new Panama Canal makes history in Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The first cargo ship to pass through the new Panama Canal, the MOL Majesty, made history this week when it docked in Jacksonville to unload.

The 991-foot ship brought with it 6,724 cargo containers the Jacksonville Port Authority said.

The ship departed Sri Lanka on May 4, passed through the canal July 4 and 5, and finally arrived in Jacksonville Wednesday, according to the ship’s automatic identification system information.

After unloading and reloading in Jacksonville, the Majesty then departed for Charleston, South Carolina.

(Photo courtesy of the Jacksonville Port Authority)

“The arrival of the MOL Majesty through the new (Panama Canal) locks is a reminder that this is a time of great growth potential for (the Jacksonville Port Authority),” CEO Brian Taylor said.

The $5.3 billion Panama Canal expansion project, which started construction in 2007, allows more, and larger, ships to pass through the 50-mile, 102-year-old canal.

It was completed about two years behind schedule.

According to Bloomberg, the canal expansion made room for ships with the capacity to carry 12,600 cargo containers, almost three times the previous limit.