News

The administration of new President Juan Carlos Varela is moving quickly to start work on the next phase of the Panama City metro, the first underground metro system in Central America.

A tender for the construction contract is expected to launch in September for the work on Line 2, a 21-kilometer stretch that will include 16 stations and connect several neighborhoods to downtown, including the December 24 district.

The first phase of the metro opened in the spring, receiving international media attention. In addition to helping to address the long term traffic and commute issues in the city, the train network is firmly establishing Panama City as a modern city that is continuing to grow in all the right ways. The 13.7-kilometre line with 12 stations cost €1.5 billion and took three years to complete.

The construction of the metro has been broken into four phases and the actions of the new administration makes it clear that it is still a top priority and the metro continues to have the full support of the government.

In July, Panama Metro awarded a consortium a $32 million five year contract to provide project management and coordination to a consortium of Barcelona Metropolitan Transport, Ayesa of Spain, and Louis Berger, a U.S. company. With that group in place, the next step will be to finish the design project and hire a construction team.

After a construction team is chosen, work on Line 2 is expected to start in the spring of 2015 and will likely take at least three years to complete.

Since taking office in May, President Varela has made it clear that he intends to support infrastructure projects, including several road projects that will have a direct impact on Punta Pacifica.

Duncan McGowan is president of Punta Pacifica Realty, a Panama real estate agency focused on Punta Pacifica, the exclusive neighborhood of 18 towers perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.