The Panama Canal is an 82-kilometer artificial waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. Completed in 1914, it is considered one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. The canal uses a system of locks to lift ships 26 meters above sea level to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation required. Before its completion, ships had to navigate the hazardous Cape Horn at the tip of South America, a journey that was 13,000 kilometers longer. A unique feature of the canal's operation is that ships are guided through the narrow locks by 'mules'—powerful electric locomotives that run on tracks along the lock walls to keep the vessels centered. In 2016, a massive expansion project was completed, adding a third lane of locks to accommodate 'Neopanamax' ships.