Guadalajara Light Rail Tunnel

The Guadalajara Light Rail Line 3 Tunnel is the principal underground structure of Line 3 of the Guadalajara Urban Electric Rail System (SITEUR) and one of the most significant urban railway infrastructure projects completed in Mexico in recent years. The project was developed to enable the railway alignment to pass beneath the historic centre of Guadalajara, eliminating conflicts with surface traffic while significantly improving metropolitan mobility between the municipalities of Zapopan, Guadalajara and San Pedro Tlaquepaque. Line 3 extends over 21.5 km, comprises 18 stations, including 13 elevated and 5 underground stations, and was designed to accommodate approximately 233,000 passengers per day, becoming one of the key components of the public transport network in the State of Jalisco

The underground section comprises an approximately 5.4 km long twin-track tunnel, excavated using a large-diameter Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine (EPB TBM), a construction method specifically selected to safely excavate the alluvial and volcanic soils characteristic of the Guadalajara Valley while minimizing ground settlement in densely developed urban areas. The permanent tunnel lining was constructed using precast reinforced concrete segmental rings, manufactured to extremely tight dimensional tolerances in order to ensure the watertightness, durability and long-term structural performance of the tunnel. The project also included the construction of five underground stations, ventilation shafts, technical galleries and transition structures connecting the underground section with the elevated railway alignment

From the perspective of fabricated reinforcing steel, the project represented one of ERSIGROUP‘s largest operations in Latin America. Construction required the industrialized fabrication and continuous supply of reinforcement for the precast tunnel segments, underground stations, diaphragm walls, structural slabs, retaining walls, columns, access shafts and ancillary structures. The highly repetitive nature of the structural elements enabled the implementation of advanced reinforcement optimization, bar scheduling and industrial manufacturing processes, ensuring high productivity, dimensional accuracy and stringent quality control throughout the project

ERSIGROUP participated in the supply, fabrication and installation of approximately 40,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel, developing engineering solutions aimed at optimizing both steel consumption and fabrication efficiency. The integration of detailed engineering, industrial production and specialized logistics ensured a continuous supply of reinforcement to the different construction fronts, supporting both the continuous advancement of the EPB tunnel boring machine and the simultaneous construction of underground stations and surface structures. The use of prefabricated reinforcement assemblies and industrialized construction methods significantly reduced installation times, improved on-site safety and ensured full traceability of the reinforcing steel throughout the entire construction process

The combination of detailed engineering, industrialized reinforcement fabrication, specialized logistics and advanced construction processes consolidated ERSIGROUP‘s participation in one of Mexico’s most important urban railway infrastructure projects, demonstrating the company’s capability to successfully deliver technically demanding tunnels, underground stations and major civil engineering works through comprehensive fabricated reinforcing steel solutions

KEY MILESTONES

• Infrastructure forming part of Line 3 of the Guadalajara Urban Electric Rail System (SITEUR)
• 21.5 km metropolitan railway corridor
• 18 stations, including 13 elevated and 5 underground stations
• Approximately 5.4 km long tunnel excavated using an Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine (EPB TBM)
• Permanent tunnel lining constructed with precast reinforced concrete segmental rings
• Designed to accommodate approximately 233,000 passengers per day
• Construction of underground stations, ventilation shafts, technical galleries and ancillary structures
• 40,000 tonnes of fabricated and installed reinforcing steel
• Industrialized reinforcement fabrication for tunnel segments, underground stations, diaphragm walls, slabs, retaining walls and foundations
• Reinforcement optimization together with industrial fabrication and installation processes developed by ERSIGROUP
• Implementation of advanced detailed engineering, industrialization and logistics solutions, optimizing productivity, dimensional accuracy, quality, full traceability and compliance with the construction schedule