Because of the lack of organization, there were no tracks available to eliminate spoil that the excavators produced. The maximum peaks of the cut were attacked just after the problems of organization were overcome. After working out and adopting the slopes and the avalanche, another problem emerged; the tidal range in the pacific was of 20 feet. This is a high tide comparing to the Atlantic Ocean, which is only 1 foot. This was a mayor problem because it would be a danger to navigation. To end this problem they suggested that a tidal lock should be created to conserve the water movements from the Culebra Cut to Colon. This project conserved the tides but also 10 million cubic meters of excavation .
During 1885 the French company passed through an economic crisis. The American government was more interested about the construction of the canal after knowing the French economic situation.
In 1904 the construction of the canal was recommenced by the Americans. The first thing they wanted to do was to improve the way of life so many diseases would sort of disappear. That same year, on 11th November, the first American steam shovel started to work on the Culebra Cut. Then by December 1905, only 2,600 men worked in the Culebra Cut . .
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All the plans that were suggested were started. The non-useful material was taken out of the excavations, the Pacific and Atlantic piece of canal were being dredging, and a review of the area for the biggest dam of the canal. On June 1906, the type of canal was decided; they decided it to be a lock canal. By making the canal a lock canal, the river Chargres wouldn't form a lake .
The excavations at the Culebra Cut went beyond 512,500 cubic meters of material during the first three months of 1907. The total material was 39,000 . To break the rock, they used about 4,535,000 kilograms of dynamite every year. In the Culebra Cut, the plant that excavated included 100 Bucyrus steam shovels, which were able to excavate around 920 cubic meters in 8 hours.