Salvador’s Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) is moving forward with an ambitious urban mobility master plan by introducing two cable car (metrocable) lines in the densely populated district of Soyapango, San Salvador Este. Designed to serve as feeder routes, these lines will transport residents from high-density neighborhoods like Las Margaritas directly to major transit corridors, including Bulevar del Ejército and the Pan-American Highway, where a high-capacity mass transit system will eventually operate.
According to Public Works Minister Romeo Rodríguez, final design plans for the Soyapango cable cars are nearly complete as officials prepare to launch the official bidding process. “The idea is to move people from Soyapango, Las Margaritas, and surrounding sectors to key points that will eventually connect with the main line,” Rodríguez noted during a television interview. Based on technical studies from the Korean Agency KOICA, each cable car route will be capable of moving up to 3,500 passengers per hour, providing a essential solution for the area’s steep terrain and heavy traffic congestion.
The Soyapango initiative builds on momentum from the country’s flagship metrocable project connecting Mejicanos to Parque Cuscatlán. That $130 million project is already undergoing active construction, with 60% of the civil works completed on its support towers and foundational work underway for four primary stations. MOPT targets 2027 for the launch of operations on the Mejicanos line, establishing a modern template for aerial cable transit in the capital region.
Looking ahead, El Salvador plans to expand this aerial transit framework across additional mountainous sectors in the metropolitan territory. Future portfolio projects include proposed routes to El Boquerón and a scenic connection linking Los Planes de Renderos, Puerta del Diablo, and Panchimalco. By integrating localized metrocables with future primary mass transit networks, the Salvadoran government aims to modernize urban transport and significantly reduce daily commute times across the capital.