For nearly two decades, unfinished tracks did nothing but collect graffiti.
An elevated passenger train completed a 35-kilometer (21.7-mile) journey through the capital city of Lima, Peru in July 2014. From the southeastern area of Villa El Salvador to the northeastern neighborhood of San Juan de Lurigancho, the first one-way trip for Line 1 of the Metro of Lima and Callao (Lima Metro) lasted about 45 minutes. By another measure, however, the journey took 28 years.
A mass-transit initiative that began in 1986, the Lima Metro project was slowed in 1990—with just 9.8 kilometers (6.1 miles) of track completed by 1995—amidst economic woes, political crises and accusations of project mismanagement. For nearly two decades, the idled track's concrete pillars did nothing but collect graffiti. They became monuments to Lima's inability to modernize—even as the city grew into one of South America's most important economic and cultural hubs.
“This was the first metro project in Peru. The learning curve was very steep.”
—José Zárate, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Lima, Peru
Lima Metro's resurrection in 2009 came in the form of a two-phase, US$1.4-billion project to complete the remaining 24.7 kilometers (15.3 miles) of viaduct for Line 1. Phase one extended the existing line by 12.3 kilometers (7.6 miles) to the center of the city. Phase two revolved around a 12.4-kilometer (7.7-mile) extension through one of South America's most densely populated neighborhoods. The project spawned new stakeholders at every bend in the track, including local residents who had to be relocated. To keep all stakeholders on board and prevent the initiative from falling back to the wayside, project managers had to stay focused on their destination.
“This was the first metro project in Peru,” says José Zárate, executive director of the autonomous authority of the electric mass transportation system of Lima and Callao of Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communications. “The learning curve was very steep.”
Construction of the second phase of Line 1 cut through one of Lima’s most populated neighborhoods.
© EPA/PAOLO AGUILAR/CORBIS
The initial stage of construction on Line 1 benefited from groundwork laid in the 1990s. For example, the fact that the government still owned property rights along the train's proposed path minimized conflict with the community. The team executed the US$519 million project segment over two years, and phase one was completed in 2011.
Phase two, on the other hand, entered uncharted territory. The transportation ministry and its construction partners at Brazil's Odebrecht had to create a new trail through crowded residential communities, negotiating with stakeholders each step of the way.
Successfully completing the US$885.1 million initiative required the project team to build strong relationships with local governments, police forces, individual citizens, business leaders, utility companies and influential media outlets, says Carlos Nostre, project manager, Odebrecht, Lima, Peru. At times, juggling the various interests nearly derailed the project.
“We are talking about different municipalities here, with their own mayors, their own councils, their own delegates in the Lima government,” Mr. Nostre says. “So as we were working, we had to talk to the government in each area about their needs, about their expectations for the work, and enlist their help.”
One of the project's biggest challenges revolved around relocating 50 families whose homes were in the train's projected path, Mr. Nostre says. To stay on the initiative's three-year schedule, the team had to clear the houses before construction advanced to that area. With the clock ticking, the Lima government agreed to build a residential condominium near the site that provided long-term housing for each family displaced due to construction. Each family was interviewed about their housing needs, and the condominiums were built based on their feedback, Mr. Nostre says.
Extended Service
1986: Government breaks ground on the Lima Metro.
1990: Construction slows amid an economic and political crisis that forces President Alan García out of office.
2009: Lima Metro is resurrected three years after García returned to power. Planning begins for the construction of additional lines. Construction begins on the first phase of Line 1, which extends the original line to the city center.
2011: Construction begins on the second phase of Line 1, which extends Line 1 from central Lima to its northern neighborhoods.
2012: In January, trains begin running on the first phase of Line 1.
2014: In July, service begins on the second phase of Line 1.
“The main challenge was to talk to each family and listen to their expectations about their new home,” Mr. Nostre says. “What we and the government negotiated was the size of the house, furnishings and number of bedrooms in order to have a better condition than they had before. It happened, but it was very difficult because you had to deal with each family, with its own needs and way of talking about this.”
“We got to work dealing with a lot of issues beforehand. Once we started working, nothing really stopped us.”
—Carlos Nostre, Odebrecht, Lima, Peru
ON A FAST TRACK
Despite the obstacles, Odebrecht finished Line 1's second phase of construction five months ahead of schedule, Mr. Nostre says.
“That never happens in Peru,” he says, pausing for emphasis. “That never happens.”
The team's success stemmed from its ability to move quickly and remain flexible enough to deal with unforeseen challenges. Lessons learned from Line 1 construction helped project managers better manage budgets, schedules, expectations and unexpected challenges during the construction of the second phase. Using a hybrid project strategy, the team combined extensive pre-planning for the entire second phase with a fast-track approval process for individual sub-projects.
Project planners worked weeks in advance, planning street closures and traffic re-routings to be as efficient as possible. Engineers devised a way to construct bridgeheads without restricting traffic on existing roads. The team secured all authorizations and permissions they could before construction began, ensuring they wouldn't lose time to managerial oversight or bureaucratic hang-ups.
“The typical approach in Peru is that you design the whole engineering project, you get the approval, and then you start construction,” Mr. Zárate says.
By working with the government to divide up the project and conquer it in parts, the team ensured that a holdup in one area wouldn't cause delays in another.
“We got to work dealing with a lot of issues beforehand,” Mr. Nostre says. “Once we started working, nothing really stopped us.”
Despite obstacles, Odebrecht finished Line 1’s second phase of construction five months ahead of schedule.
NEXT STOP: UNDERGROUND
Armed with lessons learned from the Line 1 project, Lima Metro has an aggressive expansion plan in the works. Construction on Line 2 and a part of Line 4 began in 2014 and Lima Metro hopes to have as many as six lines operating by 2035, Mr. Zárate says.
Lima Metro is digging deeper for Line 2—both literally and figuratively. The $US5.7 billion, 34.5-kilometer (21.4-mile) subway project will connect eastern Lima with the port district of Callao on the Pacific coast. Although an underground transit line creates additional construction challenges and requires a significantly higher budget, the relocation issues that came with the construction of Line 1 convinced Lima's transportation ministry that building a subway would be a better approach.
“In all our projects, we are trying to avoid social conflicts,” Mr. Zárate says. “We don't want to affect people at the surface.”
The Lima government also decided to bundle the track's construction, operation and maintenance in the same contract. For Line 1, each contract was granted separately. The goal was to bring all parties together and create more project synergy, Mr. Zárate says.
“Line 2 is a package—the operator, the supplier, the contractor are all together in the same contract,” he says. “They are designing infrastructure for the long term.”
Above all, Line 1 construction gave both the government and the civil engineering community in Peru an opportunity to learn in a real-world environment. With such experience behind them, the Line 2 project team has the tools they need to succeed—no matter what challenges might lay ahead, Mr. Nostre says.
“It would be easy to say that it can't be done on time,” he says. “But when you believe you can finish, you can always find solutions.” PM
“It would be easy to say that it can't be done on time. But when you believe you can finish, you can always find solutions.”
—Carlos Nostre