Panama has taken a three-month break for maintenance of the tunnel boring machine (TBM), which began work in September 2024. During this period, structures within the tunnel will be checked and aligned, structural bases will be installed, and beams will be placed for the monorail transit. The Panama TBM, used for the construction of the tunnel for Metro Line 3, crossed under the Canal and reached the evacuation shaft, located in the Balboa area. Since then, it has excavated 3.1 kilometers of tunnel, installed 1,560 concrete rings, and excavated more than 800,000 cubic meters of material—a volume equivalent to 320 Olympic pools, details an informative note from Metro de Panama. In general terms, the tunnel construction is 70% complete in excavation and structural preparation, and 52% complete for the entire underground section. Line 3 is expected to be fully operational by 2028. All materials used in the TBM assembly in the Farfán area will be sent to Balboa. Precisely in this zone, construction work on the Line 3 terminal and the section that will connect it to the Line 1 terminal, which is underground, is advancing. Subsequently, specialized work will be carried out, such as maintenance of the cutting wheel, inspection of mechanical components and welds, and oil changes in critical areas, among others. After three months, the TBM will continue its final journey of approximately 1.5 kilometers to Albrook, where it will be removed. The maintenance will be divided into several phases, beginning with visual inspections, mechanical reviews of main components, and electrical verifications of the system. This important milestone was attended by President José Raúl Mulino.
Panama Breaks for Tunnel Boring Machine Maintenance
The construction of the tunnel for Panama Metro Line 3 has been suspended for three months for TBM maintenance. The machine, which has already dug 3.1 km, will be serviced before continuing its final journey to the station in 2028.
