Panama Metro Line 3: boring machine completes 4.5 km tunnel, passing under the Canal
The tunnel boring machine reached the Albrook shaft on 26 October 2026 after excavating 4.5 km between Farfán and Albrook. Passenger service is targeted for 2028.
On 26 October 2026 a tunnel boring machine nearly 100 metres long reached the receiving shaft in Albrook, Panama, according to clickpetroleoegas.com.br. It had excavated 4.5 km of tunnel for the new Line 3 of the Panama metro, including the section under the Panama Canal clickpetroleoegas.com.br
clickpetroleoegas.com.brclickpetroleoegas.com.brOpen source ↗. The machine, known as "Panamá", removed about 700 thousand cubic metres of rock and soil between Farfán and Albrook.
Panamanian authorities say the crossing under the canal reached about 65 metres below sea level. Excavation began at Farfán, on the west side of the canal, at the end of 2024. The lining consists of 2295 concrete rings, each assembled from nine precast segments.
Machine and tunnel lining
The machine is about 93 metres long and 13.5 metres in diameter. Its rotating head breaks up soil and rock ahead of it, the spoil is carried out by conveyor systems, and concrete segments are placed behind the excavation face. The 700 thousand cubic metres is the volume of excavated material, not the concrete used for the lining.
According to the Presidency of Panama and the HPH Joint Venture consortium, more than 250 workers took part in this stage. An earlier milestone came on 2 February 2026, when the machine reached the Balboa shaft after about 3.1 km and about 1560 rings. After a maintenance stop it resumed work, with about 1.5 km left to Albrook clickpetroleoegas.com.br
clickpetroleoegas.com.brclickpetroleoegas.com.brOpen source ↗.
What remains before service
The tunnel is excavated, but the monotrail line still needs safety elements, running structures, electrical equipment and control systems, followed by tests. Between Farfán and Balboa, inverted boxes that serve as evacuation and safety areas have already been assembled, and running beams will be placed on them. Equivalent work between Balboa and Albrook is still to be done. The machine must also be dismantled and removed in parts from the receiving shaft.
On the day of arrival, authorities reported that Line 3 was 82% complete. The stated goal is to begin carrying passengers in 2028, a target announced by the project administration rather than a fixed opening date. At Albrook the line is to connect with Line 1 of the capital's metro.
