The construction of the Interoceanic Canal of Nicaragua, also dubbed the “Nicaragua Grand Canal,” will begin in December and be completed by 2019, Telémaco Talavera, a member of the Grand Canal Commission, told the EFE news agency in recent days.

The canal will be three times longer than the Panama Canal and be able to accommodate ships up to 400,000 tons.

Costa Rica in July expressed its concerns over the project’s possible environmental impacts, demanding environmental impact studies and assurances that the canal would not affect the flow or navigability of the San Juan and Colorado rivers.

More at Inside Costa Rica