Structural and civil engineers have argued that the weight of the train would be far too heavy for such terrain but say they have come up with a solution. Plans have been announced to build an 85-foot overpass over this section of route 5 of the Mayan Train.
But despite the use of reinforced steel and concrete, environmentalists argue that cave-ins are a real possibility, especially near Tulum where a particularly large number of unregistered cave networks sit bellow an extremely porous limestone foundation.
“The entire peninsula is full of caves and cenotes and the government has really not done its homework here. They just come in and decide they are going to do what they want regardless of the impact and that is just crazy,” said Mario Tún, a resident of the town of Yaxcabá,
Cave-ins blamed on Mayan Train construction have already been documented in the area, as large sections of new highways have collapsed into caverns below.
Though the exact price tag has not been released, the new overpass will contribute significantly to the recently announced 92% budget increase reported for the Mayan Train overall. The original budget stood at nearly 8 billion dollars back in 2020 but has now ballooned to nearly three times the original figure.
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