Metro de Panamá, S. A. and Doppelmayr Panamá, Corp. signed a contract on Monday, September 28, to build the San Miguelito teleferico, an urban cable transport system spanning roughly 6.6 kilometers with six stations. The agreement follows joint review sessions of contractual documents, and the next step involves sending the contract to the Comptroller General of the Republic for review and endorsement.
The project carries a price tag of $255,163,788 and includes design, complementary studies, construction, supply, manufacturing, installation, and system integration. It also covers testing, certification, startup, operational delivery, and an optional maintenance component.
San Miguelito Teleferico Route and Station Locations
The cable line will connect communities across Panamá and San Miguelito districts, linking directly to Line 2 of the Panama Metro at the Cincuentenario station. From there, it extends to the interconnection area between Vía Cincuentenario and Vía España.
Six stations anchor the route. They are Balboa, Cincuentenario, Samaria, Mano de Piedra, Valle de Urracá, and Torrijos Carter. Several of these neighborhoods, including Samaria and Mano de Piedra, face steep topographical challenges that limit conventional bus connectivity.
Design specifications call for the San Miguelito teleferico to integrate with the existing public transport network, including the Metro’s Line 2 and the broader mass transit system. Metro officials said the system is intended to strengthen connectivity and improve daily mobility for thousands of residents.
Presidential Confirmation and Procurement Timeline
President José Raúl Mulino confirmed the project on August 28 through his account on the social network X. He announced that the evaluation commission had issued its report, completing another phase in the procurement process.
“San Miguelito will have its teleferico! The Evaluation Commission issued its report, fulfilling another phase of the process for this important project” [Translated from Spanish]
Doppelmayr Panamá Corp. won the contract after evaluation of its proposal. The Austrian-based Doppelmayr group operates as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of ropeway and cable transport systems, with urban installations in cities across Latin America including La Paz, Medellín, and Mexico City.
Contract Review and Implementation Outlook
The signed contract now moves to the Comptroller General’s office for fiscal review and endorsement, a standard step for major public infrastructure agreements in Panama. Once endorsed, the project advances to its execution phase.
The San Miguelito teleferico represents a key significant public transit investments for the district in recent years. San Miguelito, Panama’s second most populous district, has long struggled with traffic congestion and limited east-west connectivity due to its hilly terrain and dense informal settlement patterns.
Metro de Panamá said the cable system aims to address those gaps by providing a reliable, high-frequency alternative that bypasses ground-level congestion. The integration with Line 2 at Cincuentenario creates a direct transfer point for commuters heading toward Panama City’s center.
No construction start date was announced. The contract’s operational delivery phase will follow design and civil works, with system certification required before passenger service begins. The optional maintenance clause gives Metro de Panamá flexibility to negotiate long-term upkeep terms with Doppelmayr after the system enters service.