operating the canal and getting ships safely from th the atlantc to the pa saving is the work 10,000 every day dozens of vessels make the shortcut between the two oceans. one of the most ambitious engineering projects in history. it took nearly 40 years to build. nearly 26,000 workers died mainly from diseases like malaria. when it was complete, it changed international trade forever. now a new era beckons, panama is spending $6.5 billion to widen the canal and double its capacity. back on board, vilma has a long journey ahead. but she loves the challenge and the adrenaline. >> i am doing a little bit to correct that panama shows to the world that we can handle this. we have done a pretty good job. >> reporter: for her and her thousands of colleagues, canal is a national symbol, not just of great success, but of great sacrifice. by those two build it and change the world. rachel, al jazerra on the panama canal. >>> if you want to find out more about that story or anything else, you can always keep up-to-date with the news on our website a aljazerra.com. >>> you alone may not be able