The Panama Canal was opened to traffic on August 15, 1914, when the steamship SS Ancon cross it. The exact time is a matter open to debate. Some people say it opened at 7:00am … when the Ancon left the port of Cristobal.Others say that it was sometime around 12 noon, when the steamship reached the middle of the Canal path. It left port of Cristobal at around 7:00am, and arriving at the port of Balboa around 4:00pm.ome people say it opened at 7:00am … when the Ancon left the port of Cristobal. Others say that it was sometime around 12 noon, when the steamship reached the middle of the Canal path. It left port of Cristobal at around 7:00am, and arriving at the port of Balboa around 4:00pm.