Metro Awards EIA Contract for San Miguelito Cable Cars and Extends Prequalification Period
Some 17 companies from seven countries are interested in the project.
The Panama Metro awarded the Cegygsa-Serpinco Consortium, made up of G&G SA Specialized Consultancies and Serpinco, SA, the contract to carry out the Environmental Impact Study (EIA) of the San Miguelito cable car. The tender had a reference price of 187,650 dollars, and with its offer, Cegygsa-Serpinco beat out five other competitors. The second cheapest offer was presented by the Environmental Development Corporation (Codesa), with 151,401 dollars. Once the company receives the order to proceed from the Panama Metro, it will have eight months to carry out the environmental study of the cable car.
San Miguelito’s Cable Car Project Receives Green Light
The highly anticipated San Miguelito Cable Car project has officially been approved. This significant development comes as part of the government’s continued commitment to enhancing transportation infrastructure in Panama. President José Raúl Mulino’s administration is determined to start the San Miguelito Cable Car as soon as possible. This announcement was made to Irma Hernández, who is all smiles (pictured below), the Mayor of San Miguelito, during a meeting at the Presidential Palace, Palacio de Las Garzas.
The Mayor emphasized the importance of the cable car project, highlighting it as a much-needed solution for the residents of San Miguelito. In addition to this, she urged the President to address ongoing issues in the district, including waste management, water shortages, and the completion of several stalled infrastructure projects. Among these pending projects are the new Santa Librada School, the San Isidro Health Center, and the San Isidro Zona Paga. While these constructions are nearly complete, they have not yet been made available to the public. Before meeting with the President, Mayor Hernández had a coordination session with the Secretary of Goals and Minister of Canal Affairs, José Ramón Icaza, to assess the current state of ongoing projects and align priorities to meet the needs of San Miguelito’s population.
Additionally, she met with Minister of the Presidency, Juan Carlos Orillac, who assured her that the government would follow up with the local authorities to ensure the completion of the unfinished infrastructure projects. It was also agreed to hold regular coordination meetings to monitor the progress of the cable car and other district plans. The Cabinet Council approved Resolution No. 78-24 on 20 August 2024, declaring the cable car project in the districts of Panama and San Miguelito to be of public interest. This project will be executed under the Administrative Concession System. This resolution authorized Metro de Panamá, S.A. to begin the process of studies and the selection of a concessionaire for the cable car project. The decision follows instructions from the Board of Directors of Metro de Panamá, S.A., which directed its General Manager, César A. Pinzón, to request that the Cabinet qualify the cable car project as a public interest initiative, in accordance with Article 6 of Law 5 of 1988.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance has been authorized to allocate the necessary funds or additional credits for the selection of the concessionaire. The primary goal of the cable car construction is to serve a segment of the population in Panama and San Miguelito that is not adequately covered by Metro Lines 1 and 2, or by the Metrobus fleet, due to the challenging topography of the areas where they reside. In conjunction with the approval of the cable car project, the Cabinet also passed Resolution No. 77-24 on 20 August 2024, amending the previous Cabinet Resolution No. 77 of 20 October 2020. This amendment increases the economic limit of the Compensation and Social Assistance Program (PCAS) for socially vulnerable individuals displaced due to the construction of Line 3 of the Panama Metro. The original resolution capped the program at B/.3,437,270, but with the new amendment, this limit has been raised to B/.4,780,000. Additionally, a new provision has been introduced, setting a cap of B/.2,500 on financial support that Metro de Panamá, S.A. can grant to private property owners whose land is affected by the metro construction, provided they meet certain conditions. The San Miguelito Cable Car project marks a significant step forward in improving transportation and addressing the needs of the district’s residents, promising better connectivity and infrastructure in the near future.
