News

We received new updates this week on the progress of Metro Line 3, the extension of the system that includes a tunnel under the Panama Canal.

The project team announced that construction is progressing on the 13.5-meter-wide tunnel, which will connect Panama City to the western suburbs of Arraiján and La Chorrera. About 1 km of the 4.5 km tunnel has been completed, carved out of rock 65 meters beneath the Canal.

Construction crews are using specially designed tunnel boring equipment to withstand the high pressures and mixed geological conditions beneath the canal.

“This is a unique project — the depth alone presented challenges that required significant technical adjustments,” Metro de Panamá project director Carlos Cedeño told reporters.

The completion of the metro line will be a key catalyst in opening up property markets on the west coast, including Playa Caracol, the fast-growing beach destination.

The completed Metro Line 3 will span 25 kilometers and include 14 stations, providing a key link between Panama City and the western regions. The route is expected to serve 160,000 passengers daily and cut the travel time from Panama City and Arraiján from two hours during peak periods to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, authorities announced that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of Panama have signed a $1 billion loan agreement for the development of Metro Line 3. The project uses Japanese technology and will be the first monorail in the region.

The metro line, which is largely elevated, will have a full construction value of $2.8 billion, which is Panama’s largest-ever infrastructure project since Panama Canal.