TBM Carolina Reaches Fernández de Córdoba Subway Station

The TBM "Carolina" began its journey three months ago, digging and lining the tunnel where the new Metro subway system will transit under Panama City. Today, Monday 6 August 2012, this huge machine arrived at the new subway station being built at Fernández de Córdoba (in front of the Furniture City store). The TBM Carolina has placed 663 rings formed by segments (reinforced concrete pieces) working at an depth between 25 to 30 meters under the street surface level. On the way "Carolina", which has built a mile of tunnel, removed 104,000 cubic yards of earth. This machine, which has the task of digging a tunnel about three kilometers long, will receive maintenance for two weeks and then it will continue on to dig for another 842 meters to reach the next underground subway station is located on Via Argentina. Subsequently, it will continue on its journey to eventually reach the new subway station at the El Carmen church on Via España, where it will meet up with the TBM "Marta" and then be brought to the surface. Today's event was attended by the President, Ricardo Martinelli, the Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Panama Metro, Roberto Roy, and the Minister of Public Works José Federico Suarez, among others. (Panama America)