Snapshot: Panama's road and rail works

The provinces of Panamá Este and Panamá Oeste have at least four projects to improve highway stretches, with most focusing on the 750km-long Pan American highway.

The expansion of the Las Américas-Arraiján stretch in Panama Oeste has an estimated caped of US$413mn and is approximately 60% complete, according to the public works ministry.

Another key project in 2023 will be the widening of the highway to Vacamonte. According to the Carreteras Pan-Americanas website, it involves an investment of US$57.8mn and consists of expanding the highway from two to four lanes. It is expected to be ready in November.

The third prominent project in Panama Oeste province to be developed during 2023 and the first quarter of 2024 is the US$282mn La Pesa viaduct. When the project was first presented, it included expanding a section of the Pan American highway with an estimated investment of US$600mn. The difficulty in obtaining the funds forced the administration of President Laurentino Cortizo to limit the scope. The construction is carried out by the company Puentes y Calzadas Infraestructuras de Panamá.

On March 22, the Panamanian government will receive the proposals for the first stage of rehabilitation and maintenance of the Panamericana Este highway, which involves investments of US$46.7mn. The public-private partnership contract is part of a US$292mn three-stage plan focused on the 246km stretch between Las Garzas, in Panama province, and Yaviza, in Darién province.

At the forefront of railway projects is the expansion of line 1 of the Panama City subway and the construction of line 3. 

The latter is 32% complete, according to local media, and will run 24.5km, including a US$428mn tunnel that will pass 58 meters under the Panama Canal. The project is headed by the HPH Joint Venture consortium led by Hyundai and is financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).