Mexico City races to finish metro and airport upgrades for World Cup

MEXICO CITY - With under a month to go before the start of the soccer World Cup, Mexico City is scrambling to finish key renovations, including to metro stations and the main airport, as the rush to be ready for the tournament's opening game on June 11 runs to the wire.

Some locals are frustrated by the disruption caused by the works, which many say feel aimed at visitors more than Chilangos, as city residents are known.

On Calzada de Tlalpan, one of the capital's main thoroughfares, work crews are building a pedestrian and bicycle corridor that runs for nearly two kilometers, or just over a mile, and is scheduled to open in late May. The construction has led to lane closures and congestion along one of the busiest routes in the city.

"We understand it's to improve our city and present a good image to visitors," said Blanca Abascal, a teacher who lives in the area. "But it has also been somewhat chaotic... At night we can hardly sleep because of the noise."

This year's World Cup will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Mexico City will host five games, beginning with a Mexico group match against South Africa on June 11.

At metro stations such as San Antonio Abad and Auditorio, located in central and western areas of the city, renovation work is underway to upgrade stained glass, entrances, and platforms.

"The projects focus more on aesthetics than on structural maintenance," said Halim Castro, a 22-year-old university student. "Resources could be allocated to more essential improvements, such as maintaining the metro system, which is already very old."

Mexico City authorities, who say the metro system carried more than 1.2 billion passengers last year, describe the works as necessary upgrades. Metro director Adrián Rubalcava said preparations for the World Cup have helped accelerate needed work.

"It provides an opportunity to carry out deeper work at stations that require urgent attention and that will leave them in better condition for users in the long term," he said.

Some residents have also raised concerns about the distribution of public investment.

"There are improvements in more visible areas, but in other parts of the city there are still significant gaps in transport and services," said Arturo Castro, a retiree, who called for broader urban planning.

At Benito Juárez International Airport renovations have closed parts of the airport, disrupting passengers arriving into the capital.

"The situation at the airport is simply unsustainable: the never-ending renovations, disorganization, flight delays, total chaos," said Francisco Ramos, a 42-year-old architect who used the airport last week.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has said the projects are progressing as scheduled, including the upgrades to Benito Juárez airport and the city's other airport, Felipe Ángeles.

"They will be completed on time to receive millions of visitors and athletes," she said last week.

-Additional reporting by Diego Oré, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien/Reuters