The underwater tunnel that is under construction beneath the Coatzacoalcos River, the only one of its kind in Latin America, is now 40% complete, and is expected to reach completion in March 2010 at the latest.

The underwater tunnel that is under construction beneath the Coatzacoalcos River, the only one of its kind in Latin America, is now 40% complete, and is expected to reach completion in March 2010 at the latest.

The underwater tunnel that is under construction beneath the Coatzacoalcos River, the only one of its kind in Latin America, is now 40% complete, and is expected to reach completion in March 2010 at the latest.

This is a highly advanced engineering project and the first concrete action of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec project, whose investment is 2.5 billion pesos of both private and public capital

The tunnel, which will link the port of Coatzacoalcos and the town of Allende, is being built beneath the Coatacoalcos River, one of the largest in the south-southeast region of the country.

The President of Grupo Básico México (which is one of the investors with a stake in the project), Eduardo Barousse Moreno , explained that the federal and state government conducted studies to build a bridge over the river and link the town of Allende , however with climate change the structure would quickly weaken

Hence, they decided to begin construction of an underwater bridge, part of a major railway and port project to be conducted in stages over a 25-year period to boost the economy of the southern region of Veracruz.

During a tour by investors and authorities of the three levels of government, it was reported that up to 50 thousand vehicles will pass through the Coatzacoalcos underwater tunnel, with a length of 1,600 meters : 800 beneath the river and 800 more on its two tributaries- from March 2010.

The director of the firm Constructora Túnel Coatzacoalcos, Jose Javier Perez Altares said the entire allocation of resources is guaranteed despite the global financial crisis.

Of the 2.5 billion pesos that will be needed to fund this major project, private sector is going to contribute 1.5 billion and the rest will come from the Federal and State governments