<P> On 7 January 1914 the French crane boat Alexandre La Valley became the first to make the traverse, and on 1 April 1914 the construction was officially completed with the hand - over of the project from the construction company to the Canal Zone government . The outbreak of World War I caused the cancellation of any official "grand opening" celebration, and the canal officially opened to commercial traffic on 15 August 1914 with the transit of the SS Ancon . </P> <P> During World War II, the canal proved a vital part of the U.S. military strategy, allowing ships to transfer easily between the Atlantic and Pacific . Politically, the Canal remained a territory of the United States until 1977, when the Torrijos--Carter Treaties began the process of transferring territorial control of the Panama Canal Zone to Panama, a process completed on 31 December 1999 . </P> <P> The Panama Canal continues to be a viable commercial venture and a vital link in world shipping, and continues to be periodically updated and maintained . The Panama Canal expansion project started construction in 2007 and began commercial operation on 26 June 2016 . The new locks allow transit of larger Post-Panamax and New Panamax ships, which have a greater cargo capacity than the original locks could accommodate . </P> <P> The idea of a canal across Central America was revived during the early 19th century . In 1819, the Spanish government authorized the construction of a canal and the creation of a company to build it . </P>

Whose idea was it to build the panama canal