TLBaja79
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Posts: 266
Registered: 10-17-2013
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Otay-Mexicali-Gonzaga-Hwy 1-Loreto
Last week (March 2019 Trip)
This was a quick trip down from Southern California to Loreto. This was our first time on the 2D and 5.
Left Otay at 7am, traffic getting out of Otay to the Hwy 2D. The 2D was great, no complaints, no traffic....Surprised at how nice the highway was, 2
lanes each direction during down grade.
1st Toll booth was free, I guess they are on strike? After that $25pesos - $95pesos - $45pesos. I think, may be a little bit off on that.
The 5 from Mexicali to San Felipe was fast and nice. No traffic, barely any northbound traffic. Very fast. The highway is in almost perfect
condition compared to what I am used to in Baja
South of San Felipe immediately the road is rough and full of potholes. Didn't count but seemed like most of the bridges were washed out with
detours. Most of these were marked well with cones and piles of dirt/rocks. Some are hardly marked at all, possibly cause they are new??
There is a ~10mi stretch south of puertocitos that is under construction. You just get off the road and drive on a dirt road alongside the main road.
After Gonzaga Bay you get on a dirt road which is much rougher than I had expected and lasts about ~15mi. Not bad but its slow. Just north of Cocos
Corner there are a lot of options on the road, we took the Cocos Corner road, not sure if the other road is passable. Not currently being worked on.
A few miles before Hwy 1 there is some pavement with piles of dirt on either side making a 2 lane highway 1 lane, had to pull to the side and wait for
oncoming traffic to pass.
Hwy 1 south of Laguna Chapala is ok. No real news here, just some potholes and some rough areas but not too bad.
We stayed the night in San Ignacio at the Desert Inn, La Huerta was full. Desert Inn almost full! Whale Watching season.
Up the next day and on to Loreto, just a couple spots along that stretch where they were working on the road, but no delays.
Military Stops:
End of 2D or start of 5. They were good, just looked around the car from the outside, we didn't even get out.
There were others, but they were so friendly, easy and barely even stopped I can't remember them.
San Ignacio, they were very nice and professional after a couple jokes and greetings. They looked in the windows and off we went.
N of Loreto, they were nice, I think this was the only one we got out of the car, but it was still quick, just looked inside and off we went.
None of the stops were anything more than a quick once-over and courteous professional attitude.
Some reason I can't load full size pics...But here they are, click on them if you want to enlarge
[Edited on 3-12-2019 by TLBaja79]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64480
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Thank you for your report!!!
There is a link on Postimages called "Hotlink for Forums" near the bottom of the list of links if you wish to post the full size photo rather than
thumbnails (which enlarge with a click, of course).
The 10-mile detour alongside new road work is actually north of Puertecitos. There were military checkpoints also at the Hwy. 3 junction, 31 miles
north of San Felipe, Gonzaga Bay, and the El Tomatal junction (north of Jesus María) in the recent past.
Hope you had a great time!!!
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BajaParrothead
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Location: Portola, CA / Los Barriles
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TLBaja79, how long did it take you to get to S.I.?
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TLBaja79
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Posts: 266
Registered: 10-17-2013
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Ur right DK, those other checkpoints were there, they were so easy and seamless this time none were noteworthy enough to remember!
From the border it took us about 11hrs, but that is way longer than it could have, we didn't travel too fast...traffic in Otay, 45min lunch, get out
in San Felipe to walk around, etc...
I'd say with the washouts and the way Hwy 5 is it is slightly longer than Hwy 1. I prefer it though since there is no traffic and overall nicer
drive...in my opinion.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64480
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thank you for your time to share, TL!
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