Construction of Panama Metro  line 3 begins early 2021

The construction of the 25-kilometer third line of the Panama Metro to the province of Panamá Oeste will begin in early 2021.

The information was passed by the Panama Metro to insurance companies interested in participating in the bidding for the $7.5 billion insurance policy to cover the works related to the project.

Twelve companies, including local insurers and international reinsurance firms, participated in the homologation meeting. In the list of participants are Seguro Ancón, Mapfre Panamá, Assa Compañía de Seguros, SA, Carpenter Marsh FAC, RKH Specialty Miami, Chubb Latam, Specialty RE, BMS Group, Transnational RE Inc, Seguros SURA, Nacional de Seguros and Internacional de Seguros .

During the approval of the specifications, the interested companies asked if the work involved the construction of tunnels, and  Metro representatives confirmed that it did, but did not provide details or the company that would build the structure that will pass below the Panama Canal.

The Government changed the original design of the third line in order to reduce the construction cost of the fourth bridge, since the third line would have used the structure to cross the Canal.

Since the award of the third line to the Korean consortium HPH Joint, which offered $2.507 million dollars, the Metro has worked on the design and feasibility of the tunnel that would be built at a depth of 50 meters below the Canal

The tender to contract the insurance policy has a reference price of $7.5 million and will cover the construction of civil works, auxiliary installations of the line and stations, supply, and installation of the integral system that includes rolling stock.

In the case of damages caused by earthquakes, hurricanes, landslides, subsidence, and other catastrophes, the compensation contemplated in the policy would be $2.507 million.