Here is how ships transit the Panama Canal. Inaugurated in 1914, the Panama Canal is one of the most iconic engineering feats of modern history. Stretching 82 kilometers, it links the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean by cutting across the Isthmus of Panama, putting an end to centuries of perilous navigation around Cape Horn. The project, initially launched by France in the late 19th century under the leadership of Ferdinand de Lesseps, failed due to technical and sanitary difficulties. Taken