Mexico’s Santa María dam 78% complete

Mexico’s water authority Conagua has advanced 78% with the construction of the 16.3bn-peso (US$786mn) Santa María dam in Sinaloa state. 

According to a video played during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s daily press conference, electromechanical works have advanced substantially, especially regarding the third 16m diameter tunnel that makes up the deviation elements.

Also, 95m of the 104m bottom drain pipeline of the tunnel and 130m of the 300m intake work pipe are completed. 

"We are also working on the two biplane butterfly valves, which present an advance of 30%," according to the video. 

Santa María is on the Baluarte River in El Rosario municipality. According to the cost/benefit analysis, the dam wall will have a maximum height of 153m and a length of 784m.

For this year, the federal government allocated 10.4bn pesos, making it the biggest item in the water infrastructure category. 

Mexican infrastructure giant ICA is leading construction. The contract was awarded in 2015 but the previous administration halted works.