Panamas perfect traffic storm will last at least two years
Panama is heading into the perfect storm when it comes to traffic congestion and if you’re a driver, plan your route before leaving home as mobility in the city is heading for a 30-40% reduction.
The advice comes from Teofilo Moreno, Deputy Commissionerof the National Police Bureau of Traffic Operations in response to complaints about increasing traffic snarls.
It’s a hassle that’s going to be around for at least the next two years as the city tries to make up for past years of neglect by building overpasses and repairing damage to roads caused by trucks during the construction boom.
Add to that an increase of over 3,000 new vehicles on the road every month and the building of the Metro Subway, and it may be time to recall the old song “These Boots are Made for Walkin’.”
If you are one of the drivers heading home along Avenida Balboa in the early evening only to find that there is no way to turn right from Parque Urraca until you have passed the fish market you might be forgiven for wondering why there are no signs posted to warn you of your need to find another route.
If you have missed a key appointment because you have spent 20 minutes stuck in the Calle 50 or Transistmica snarl watching fellow driverspark on intersections decorated with a yellow trellis warning that you have to wait until the exit is clear you might also wonder where the traffic cops are hiding.
Moreno, on TVN added some more items to the list that will spell traffic hell for the forseeable future: the buildings of underpasses and metro stations,
the adaptations of the Metro Bus stopsand the completion of the corridor area of ??the December 24, and the extension of Domingo Diaz.
According to estimates, urban mobility in the next two years will be reduced between 30% and 40%.
The Deputy Commissioner asked for public understanding during the coming years "These works are eminently necessary and can no longer be postponed.” he said.
In the meantime the first giant TBM (tunnel boring machine) to be used in the excavation the subway line, will be delivered by the factory in Germany next week, before being transported to Panama. It will beshipped in several parts due to its size, said Agustín Arias, head of engineering Metro Secretary of Panama.
For excavations use TBM’s of about 10 meters high and 100 meters long, will dig about 7.2 km from Albrook to Transístmica.
The first boring machine is expected to arrive in October and the second in December this year.
Arias said that the first machine will begin digging in January 2012.The distance of the tunnel varies from less than 600 meters to 1.2 km between stations.
Work began this week on the relocation of utilities for the St. Thomas station on Avenida Justo Arosemena. The relocation will last between up to two months, said Arias and will include the burying of some of the visual pollution of overhead cables.
There were complaints from drivers because they were unaware of the closure of a section of the road and diversions as the announcement was made only a day or two before work started on the heavily trafficked rout.
