Not Just Public Works

On June 26, on the occasion of the first official passage of a ship, the new Panama Canal attracted thousands of tourists and onlookers. The expansion, built by a consortium including Salini Impregilo, will not only double annual revenue (from $2.5 billion to $5 billion) for the country but also will help strengthen the image of the canal as a symbolic work, known and appreciated all over the world. Like the canal, other public works have gone beyond the confines of their respective infrastructure roles and become points of interest for the public. Such is the case of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and its adjacent park, which attracts 13 million visitors a year. The mosque in Abu Dhabi, the third largest in the world, is considered to be among the most important monuments of the Emirates. The Val di Lei Dam built between Italy and Switzerland at more than 2,000 meters above sea level has remained a paradise for mountain lovers. The same thing applies for the Shinkansen, the network of high-speed trains that connects the main cities of Japan. Its trains have enabled savings of at least 400 million hours in commuting time and 500 billion yen a year. These works serve as symbols for their host countries, offering an image of human progress recognized throughout the world.