Work on the $1.42 billion fourth bridge over the Panama Canal should start this quarter following a  review meeting between the Minister of Public Works, Rafael Sabonge, and with the Chinese  Panama Fourth Bridge Consortium (CPCP) of the changes d to construction costs and time.

"We hope to be able to communicate this week the decision about whether there is a new re-alignment of the project or if the alignment that is currently in the contract is maintained," Sabonge said on  Tuesday. January 21. The minister said that on Wednesday he will have a meeting with the president of the Chinese consortium in Panama

"What I can tell you is that the preliminary works, whether a re-alignment is used or not, begin in the first quarter of this year when it is also expected to work on the foundations of the main batteries of the project.

“One of the causes of the changes to the original project, signed during the last Administration of Juan Carlos Varela (2014-2019) is the effects on the port of Balboa, whose owner, Panama Ports Company (PPC) has asked for compensation of $68 million. That amount of compensation presented by PPC would cover " infrastructure that would have to be rehabilitated and land that would be lost," said the minister.

 "One of the reasons we are trying to change the alignment of the bridge is to minimize these effects to the Port of Balboa, obviously this would imply that the compensation was not given or that it was much lower than what is proposed, but above all that the operation of the port is not affected and also that the construction of the bridge is not affected, "said the minister.

Among the changes proposed by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) to the original project are to separate the project of Line 3 of the Metro from the bridge