Tunnel Collapse Exposes Structural Flaws at Interoceanic Corridor Project

Hurricane Erick’s devastating impact on Mexico’s Pacific coast has exposed fundamental structural weaknesses in one of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s signature infrastructure projects. Intense rains caused catastrophic damage to the newly inaugurated Mitla-Tehuantepec highway in Oaxaca.

The Category 3 storm, which made landfall Thursday with sustained winds of 125 mph, triggered more than 200 landslides along the critical highway corridor. Mud and rocks completely blocked tunnel No. 3 at El Tornillo. The failure forced the total closure of this vital link in Mexico’s ambitious Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

The collapsed structure is no ordinary tunnel. Known as a “false tunnel,” it was built to address what engineers discovered during construction: severe geological instability in the terrain that made conventional road-building impossible. Despite these warnings, construction proceeded.

“This work was what prevented the Mitla-Tehuantepec highway from being put into operation in September because it was not planned or budgeted,” said former state Infrastructure Secretary Netzahualcóyotl Salvatierra López.

Engineering Band-Aid Fails Under Pressure

The false tunnel represented a risky engineering solution to an intractable problem. When builders cut into the unstable slope to create the roadway, they could not achieve geological stability. Rather than redesign the route, contractors built a tunnel-like structure that would allow the unstable earth above to collapse onto it, forming what engineers call a false tunnel.

The $2.8 billion Interoceanic Corridor represents López Obrador’s vision to create an alternative to the Panama Canal, connecting Mexico’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts through a railway system and modernized ports. The Mitla-Tehuantepec highway serves as a crucial land component of this trade route.

Oaxaca Gov. Salomón Jara Cruz had declared the false tunnel “100 percent complete” on Jan. 8, boasting that vehicles could pass safely. Just weeks later, President Claudia Sheinbaum inaugurated the 169-kilometer highway on Jan. 24, praising it as reducing travel time from Oaxaca’s capital to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec from 4.5 hours to 2.5 hours.

Pattern of Hasty Construction

The tunnel collapse illuminates broader concerns about the rushed construction timelines that characterized López Obrador’s infrastructure push. The former president repeatedly emphasized speed over thorough planning, often setting aggressive deadlines for completing major projects.

A local media outlet had reported constant landslides in the El Tornillo area before the hurricane, suggesting the geological problems were well-documented but inadequately addressed. The decision to proceed with a false tunnel rather than reroute the highway now appears to have been a costly miscalculation.

Hurricane Erick struck low-populated areas but caused severe damage to infrastructure, with flooding, landslides and collapsed roads impacting communities across Oaxaca and Guerrero. The storm marked the earliest major hurricane to land on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Economic Impact Beyond the Tunnel

The highway closure threatens thousands of people who depend on this route for freight transportation and daily commutes. The road was designed to serve 80,000 inhabitants across 16 communities, facilitating communication with the Tehuantepec Isthmus region and the neighboring states of Chiapas and Veracruz.

State Highway Police reported additional obstacles at kilometer 117 of the same road, with rocks and sand further impeding traffic. While authorities have begun rehabilitation work, no completion date for complete traffic restoration has been announced.

The failure strikes at the heart of Mexico’s strategy to position itself as a viable alternative to the Panama Canal. The Interoceanic Corridor project aims to handle up to 1.4 million 20-foot equivalent units annually by 2033, transforming the Isthmus of Tehuantepec into a global trade hub.

Infrastructure Under Scrutiny

The collapse raises questions about other corridor project elements, including port expansions, railway modernization and the creation of 10 industrial parks. Critics have long questioned whether the rushed timeline allowed for adequate geological surveys and environmental impact assessments in this seismically active region.

A government environmental report had predicted the corridor would create significant ecological damage, transforming biodiverse areas into industrial zones with contaminated water and air. The tunnel collapse suggests these environmental concerns may have been matched by inadequate attention to fundamental engineering challenges.

The Mitla-Tehuantepec highway represents just one component of López Obrador’s ambitious southern development strategy, which also includes the Tren Maya and the Dos Bocas refinery. All three projects were criticized for rushed construction timelines and inadequate environmental reviews.