Metro de Panamá starts load tests for US$178mn line No. 1 extension

Load tests on the US$178mn extension of Panama City’s metro line No. 1 are carried out in preparation for construction of the first pile foundations, operator Metro de Panamá said.

The tests evaluated the support capacity of the terrain where 85 piles for a viaduct will be installed. With the tests approved, installation of the piles between San Isidro and Chivo-Chivo is expected to begin the first week of September.

The 2km extension to Villa Zaita will improve connectivity to the north of the city, transporting 10,000 passengers at peak hours while creating around 1,000 jobs during construction. Also included are new pedestrian accessways and a 1,000-lot parking area.

Operations are scheduled to start in January 2024.

Installation of the piles will take until the end of the year or early 2022, the operator’s general director, Héctor Ortega, said in a statement. Construction of the station, including an elevated platform, should start in February or March, he said.

That phase will require interrupting the regular flow of traffic. Currently, pile installation can be done on the shoulder of the road. 

Metro de Panamá has made numerous announcements this month regarding its many public transit projects. Work is starting on the design of the US$9.86mn tunnel along line No. 3 under the Panama Canal.

Earlier this month, construction on the US$88mn line No. 2 branch to Tocumen international airport reached 75%, according to the operator.