The Panama Canal is 50.7 miles long and 300 feet wide. Its depth varies from place to place. The canal has 12 locks, with each chamber holding 66 million gallons of water. Work on the canal was first started on May 4, 1904. The Panama Canal was finished on October 10, 1913. It was open for traffic on August 15, 1914. The United States gave up the rights of governing the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999.