Panama is facing significant transportation issues due to delays in the construction of the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal. The project, originally scheduled for completion in 2023, is still not finished. This has necessitated the construction of a tunnel for Metro Line 3, costing the state an additional $1.84 billion. President José Raúl Mulino has warned that the situation will be complex due to an incident on the Bridge of the Americas and has called for understanding from citizens. Authorities are conducting a technical inspection of the old bridge, which is currently the only viable option for crossing. The delays and cost overruns are the result of decisions made by the Ministry of Public Works in the previous administration. In 2020, then-Minister Rafael Sabonge separated the monorail and bridge projects, leading to the current problems. According to Minister José Luis Andrade, these changes resulted in massive additional costs. Authorities have stated that this money could have been used to build 36,000 low-cost homes or 6,300 kilometers of roads.
