The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) reported on Friday, October 13, that construction, design, and maintenance efforts for the expansion and rehabilitation of the Pan-American Highway, between the Bridge of the Americas and Arraiján, have reached 78.8% completion.

Gilberto Marengo, Director of Special Projects at the MOP, stated that the current focus is on structure construction, earthwork, and asphalt laying.

He also mentioned that, according to the project’s contractual progress, a partial opening of the project is scheduled for the end of this year. The section open to traffic will be from Howard to the Arraiján area in Panama West Province.

“The coordination with the Panama Pacific Agency and Line 3 of the Metro is essential for the opening of the Howard interchange, which will enable more efficient flow to the Panama Pacific Agency and improve traffic from Howard to Arraiján,” Marengo highlighted, as per an MOP statement.

The project, undertaken by the Loma Cová consortium at a cost of around $413 million, will feature eight lanes – four heading towards Panama West and four towards Panama City. The entire project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.