Residents in Southern Mexico City Raise Alarm Over Cablebús Line 4 Construction
Mexico City, September 16 – Residents in the southern part of Mexico City have voiced significant concerns regarding the potential for structural damage and loss of their properties due to excavations for the construction of Cablebús Line 4 and the proliferation of large-scale real estate developments. During a meeting with representatives from 14 city agencies, the Neighborhood Assembly Against Tlalpan-Coyoacán Megaconstructions warned that the installation of piles for the new transport system would exacerbate the fragility of the subsoil, which is already prone to sinkholes.
The primary objective of this new route is to connect the elevated areas of the Tlalpan borough with the Ciudad Universitaria (CU) zone in Coyoacán, significantly reducing travel times from 70 to just 35 minutes. The route will span approximately 11.3 kilometers, featuring eight stations and utilizing over 3,090 state-of-the-art cabins.
Risk Due to Vulnerable Subsoil and Seismic Activity
The residents’ apprehension is rooted in the specific terrain conditions and the seismic activity characteristic of the capital. In this regard, the Mexico City Risk Atlas identifies areas in the Coyoacán borough that are susceptible to subsidence and various levels of seismic hazard, where wave intensity can increase due to the presence of soft soils compared to firmer ground compositions.
To prevent contingencies in their homes, affected families have formally approached government bodies to request a comprehensive environmental, urban, and soil mechanics impact study to assess the safety of the area. Adding to this problem is the construction of developments on Periférico Sur that include more than 400 new apartments, as well as the vulnerability generated by wells extracting water from depths exceeding 300 meters.
Institutional Stance and Community Dissatisfaction
Members of the assembly expressed their rejection of the response from the authorities present, alleging that officials declared themselves “incompetent” to conduct the risk assessment, despite having granted authorizations for deep excavations. In their statement, the citizen organization criticized: “For the capital authorities, the priority is to advance developments and projects regardless of environmental protection standards or risks.”
Similarly, the protesters highlighted the stance of the Institute of Administrative Verification (Invea), whose representative stated that the agency lacks the authority to intervene, leaving the supervision of construction work solely under the responsibility of the borough, as established by law.
Announcement of Community Mobilizations
Given the lack of favorable responses and the absence of guarantees regarding the stability of their land, residents announced that they would undertake mobilizations and demand the suspension of the Cablebús construction until the structural integrity of the area is assured.
This protest reflects the existing social discontent in various parts of Mexico City over the implementation of public and private infrastructure megaprojects without the prior consent of local populations.
The Cablebús Line 4 project is reported to be 20% complete, connecting Tlalpan with Metro Universidad. New Cablebús lines are currently under construction, aiming to connect five boroughs in Mexico City.
Source: Diario De México
