The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via a 50-mile channel cut through the Isthmus of Panama. Construction began in 1904 and took 10 years to complete, opening in 1914. It features a system of locks, artificial lakes, and channels to transport ships over the continental divide. Three sets of locks raise and lower ships up to 85 feet between Gatun Lake and the ocean on either end. The Culebra Cut through the continental divide was a major engineering challenge. Bridges were later built to connect the divided land, with the Bridge of the Americas opening in 1962 and the Centennial Bridge in 2004 to further accommodate increasing traffic flows.