How would a proposed Nicaragua canal have connected the Atlantic and Pacific oceans?

The proposed canal across Nicaragua was designed to create a trans-isthmian waterway by utilizing the country's natural geography to connect the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) and the Pacific Ocean.1

The planned route would have functioned as follows:

• Atlantic Connection: The route would have utilized the San Juan River, which flows from the southeastern shore of Lake Nicaragua to the Caribbean Sea.12
• Central Transit: The canal would have crossed the expanse of Lake Nicaragua itself.1
• Pacific Connection: The final link would have been completed by a channel excavated through the Rivas Isthmus, a narrow strip of land approximately 12 miles (19 km) wide that separates the lake from the Pacific Ocean.1

While this route was long considered a primary alternative to the Panama Canal, interest in the project largely subsided following the completion of the Panama waterway in 1914.13