Panama has reached a major milestone in its ambitious Metro Line 3 project: the construction of the country’s first metro tunnel beneath the Panama Canal is well underway. This unprecedented project will connect Panama City with the western suburbs of Arraiján and eventually La Chorrera, dramatically reducing commute times and easing chronic traffic congestion.
The tunnel, which will measure 4.5 kilometers in length and 13.5 meters in diameter, is currently being built 65 meters beneath the bed of the historic interoceanic canal. According to Metro de Panamá project director Carlos Cedeño, approximately one kilometer of the tunnel has already been completed. Specially designed tunnel boring equipment is being used to withstand the high pressures and mixed geological conditions beneath the canal.