TBM "Marta" finishing its digging

Tomorrow the tunnel boring machine (TBM) nicknamed "Marta" will reach the future metro station Iglesia del Carmen on Spain Road. Its arrival at this point will mean that work on the underground stretch of the line, which started in the Albrook area, has concluded.

This was announced by the Minister of Economy and Finance, Frank De Lima, who also said they are awaiting a report by the engineers of the Metro Department on the expansion of the above-ground section of the Panama Metro Line One up to the entrance of San Isidro.

The TBM "Marta" began operation on January 23, 2012 in the southern railway cutting at Albrook and on August 1st arrived where the station Plaza 5 de Mayo is being constructed in downtown Panama City. On average, the machine excavated 16 meters daily, thus digging out a four-kilometer long tunnel.

It then continued to bore onwards towards the stations of Marañón and Santo Tomás, until finally approaching Iglesia del Carmen, where it will be dismantled tomorrow. Openings have already been made on the road to extract the TBM machinery once it reaches this point.

Line One of the Metro will be the first infrastructure of its kind in Central America, extending 13.7 kilometers from Albrook all the way to Los Andes in San Miguelito.

There will be twelve stations, of which five are elevated, six underground and one halfway underground.

The estimated cost to construct Line 1 exceeds $1.800 million.

Source: www.laestrella.com.pa