Panama City metro expansion to go through tunnel under canal

[Judi Lynn]

Panama City's next metro line will run through a tunnel bored beneath the Panama Canal to reach western suburbs
By
The Associated Press
February 13, 2020, 5:56 PM
2 min read

PANAMA CITY -- A new metro line for Panama City will run through a tunnel bored beneath the interoceanic canal to reach western suburbs, rather than passing over the canal alongside a planned new bridge as was originally anticipated as part of a broader $4 billion infrastructure project, authorities said Thursday.

Agustín Arias, director of special projects for the capital's subway system, said officials opted for a single tunnel option, divided in half and 42 feet (13 meters) in diameter. It will be the first such tunnel underneath the canal.

Work on the new Line 3 of the metro is expected to begin in the coming weeks pending approval from the General Comptroller’s Office.

Metro general director Héctor Ortega said the viability of the tunnel had been under study for more than three months.

Public Works Minister Rafael Sabonge said the decision to separate the projects — Line 3 and the fourth bridge traversing the canal — was made primarily to avoid delays to the subway expansion, something that is eagerly awaited by residents west of Panama City.

More:
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/panama-city-metro-expansion-tunnel-canal-68975100

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Wow.