Tunnel in Mexico State Aims to Prevent Flooding

Why this is here: The Churubusco-Xochiaca tunnel can drain 16,000 liters of water per second, a key feature in preventing floods in a historically vulnerable region.

In Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico State, authorities completed the Churubusco-Xochiaca tunnel with an investment of 450 million pesos. The deep hydraulic infrastructure will drain up to 16,000 liters of water per second. Conagua estimates the project will benefit over one million people in Chimalhuacán, Nezahualcóyotl, La Paz, and Iztapalapa in Mexico City.

Miguel Ángel Gonzaga Sánchez explained that differential subsidence and accumulated trash previously hampered drainage in the area. A new 2.44-meter diameter Calandria collector now carries 6,000 liters per second to the main tunnels. Water will then flow to the controlled flood lagoon of Churubusco-Xochiaca, which can hold over three million cubic meters.

Previously, officials only transported floodwater out of Mexico City, transferring the problem to neighboring states. The new tunnel is part of a larger 2.5 billion peso plan to regulate water within the metropolitan area. The effectiveness of the tunnel relies on maintaining the lagoon and addressing ongoing issues with trash and ground subsidence.