Inspection finds problems in rest of Mexico City subway line

A visual inspection has found problems in about one-third of the Mexico City elevated subway line where a single span collapsed on May 3, killing 26 people

MEXICO CITY -- A visual inspection has found problems in about one-third of an elevated Mexico City subway line one span of which collapsed on May 3, killing 26 people. The College of Engineers study of the city’s Number 12 line covered the 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) of elevated track, but not the section that collapsed. A previous report released Wednesday on the collapsed section found construction defects from when the line was built in 2010-2012, but those defects were hidden and would probably not be seen in a visual check. What engineers did see on the rest of the line in the study released Thursday were cracks in columns and support beams, skewed braces, rain water leaks and metal beams that may not meet standards because they were welded in the middle or weren’t resting properly on rubber shock absorbers.