BajaNomad

Pavement to Puertecitos

gonetobaja - 1-18-2006 at 08:11 PM

Just got back today. There are several survey crews working on the road and the news is that the pavement will reach puertecitos in a few months. It will bypass puertecitos inland and then go to gonzaga from there.

You heard it here first.....

Now it will be smooth road, I think Im sad....:?:

GTB

It's a good news/bad news kinda thing...

Mexray - 1-18-2006 at 08:41 PM

I know those affected in that area have a love/hate relationship with a good, paved road...but lets face facts, a quick look at a Baja map will certainly show how bad a good paved road between San Felipe - Puertecitos - Gonzaga - Chapala/Hwy 1 is needed to improve 'tourist flows' throughout Baja & Baja Sur. This new, improved route would be a 'boon' for those travelers coming from the Central U.S., saving many road miles, not having to drive clear over to Ensenada, before heading south.

And lets be honest, I'll bet there won't be many Casa Owners below San Felipe, along the coast, that won't welcome a nice paved strip to cut down on their transit times and the wear and tear on the equipment!

Another glance at a Baja map, might also reveal the need for a good paved road between San Ignacio (approximate) - La Purisima - Ciudad Insurgentes. This new route would divert the majority of the commercial traffic bound for La Paz & Cabo and remove the heavy vehicle 'pressure' along the Gulf between Santa Rosalia and Loreto.

I realize new paved roads mean more vehicles, tourists, etc. But if the Mexican Govt. wants to realize more tourist $'s, it's almost inevitable that they would do this sort of thing at some point in time...what ya' goin' to do? They're paving paradise, and making it a parking lot...ough, wap, wap wap...sings Joni Mitchell...

[Edited on 2-20-2006 by Mexray]

wornout - 1-18-2006 at 09:07 PM

Mexray: I know what you mean about the Love/Hate relationship of the growth. I live in San Felipe and we are experiencing rapid growth now. The new road means we can get from here to GN, to watch the whales, in half a day and with all the nuts and bolts still on the truck.

mcgyver - 1-18-2006 at 09:44 PM

MexRay, You are right of course but for the present it is sort of a badge of honor! " I drove to Punta Bufeo when the pot holes were XXXXXXX" type of thing. As a 6 to 7 months a year resident of the area I am torn between being happy to have good pavement to my Campo at KM 54 S and all the increases in traffic that will come with all good road. Not to say that the curves and drop offs in the Cuestas S of Puertecitos will not continue to claim victims as will the vados S of Rancho Grande, indeed they may claim more after paving! With paving on Highway 5 completed all the way through to Highway 1 S of Guerrero Negro through San Francisquito/El Arco, I could leave my house and be at Las Animas by noon! Of course when I got there it would be to take a number and sit at a gate like it is now in the US at a lot of places.
The paving equipment is still sitting in wait at KM 51 S.
There is no doubt that this will happen , there are 3 houses in my sight being built on the beach right now where there has been all most no new construction for 10 years, there are 7 new roads to the beach from the highway, I counted them today. There are 5 houses in this Campo that have been empty and for sale for over 3 or more years with little interest, all have had lookers this past 6 weeks, one is sold------Going-----Going -----gone!! The old Baja!!

surfer jim - 1-19-2006 at 07:09 PM

I will not miss the washboard road at all.....

Puertecitos road

BAJACAT - 2-5-2006 at 08:27 PM

Remember progress comes with a price. on this instance it will bring all kinds of people..:no:

Latest on the road!

mcgyver - 2-5-2006 at 08:39 PM

A contractor from Ensenada moved into Puertecitos and built a barracks style housing for the road workers. According to the locals he did not get paid so everyone went back to Esenada. I drove out to the paving machinery stowage area this afternoon, the watchman tells the same story as always ""Manana" or "Posibily Pasado manana".

BajaDave - 2-6-2006 at 02:36 AM

Quote:
And lets be honest, I'll bet there won't be many Casa Owners below San Felipe, along the coast, that won't welcome a nice paved strip to cut down on their transit times and the wear and tear on the equipment!


You can put me down as one of those owners who'd prefer it remain unpaved. Occasionally graded, yes. Paved, no. But as you suggest, it's not all bad, as we'll benefit by decreased drive times and wear and tear. It's just that for me, that benefit is offset by the increased traffic and all that it brings to this remote stretch of highway.

bufeo - 2-6-2006 at 07:33 PM

As a resident well below Puertecitos, I would prefer the road to remain dirt, and I agree with BajaDave that occasionally graded would be nice.

I have spoken with many of the Mexican business persons in our area and their responses to this proposed paving have been mixed.

We just returned from a month in South Africa and Namibia where we traveled over 3000km in a Toyota LC over dirt roads. In Namibia the roads were graded on a regular basis and that country is no where near as wealthy as Mexico. Mind you, there were hundreds of 'wash aways' (Namibian equivalent of vados) and 'rough' spots, but we saw road-grading crews (two men with a grader and trailer) on many of the back tracks.

We forded streams, literally crawled (4WD low range) up some grades, and still we saw evidence of recent grading. I'm convinced that the government of BCN could put in an all-weather dirt road south from Puertecitos to Chapala that would be superior to the existing road, require less money to build than pavement, and in the long run be easier to maintain since dirt requires less man and machinery than pavement....but...

most likely I won't be consulted. :lol:

Desertbull - 2-20-2006 at 11:05 AM

I'm envisioning this...

Bufeo's Cafe - Featuring Starbucks coffee and Baskin-Robbins ice cream. Situated convienently on the highway to Gonzaga at The Baja Mall in Punta Bufeo, Baja California.

Air-conditioning and parking for large motorhomes...Snow Birds & Canadians welcomed!:lol:

(i could go on..but i'm laughing to hard / dang, the days of no more rough road heading south...i'll believe it when i see it. I just returned from yet another trip and the road was in horrible condition, huge wash board that will shake your teeth out, massive wash outs in the vados, 5 foot drop offs, wind and dust storms with low visibility, bands of roaming bandidos looting everything in site...anyone thinking about heading south of Puertocitos should think twice! ROTFLMAO:spingrin:

Neal Johns - 2-20-2006 at 01:52 PM

Thanks, Desertbull,
Sounds scary, I think I will stay home and watch TV. :O

I think my new Baja 'Ride' is going to be...

Mexray - 2-20-2006 at 02:11 PM

...a customized Caterpillar Road Grader with a large self-contained camper mounted on back! I'll be able to explore Baja's interior at will. I can visualize other intrepid Baja travelers following behind our new 'rig' like Arctic vessels behind an icebreaker as it plows through an ice field...

The Pavement, where does it end?

Ruben - 4-6-2006 at 12:21 PM

Hey all,

Driving from San Diego to Calexico, crossing at Mexicali and heading down the 5 to San Felipe. Then hoping to drive on Saturday down to Coco's corner. We'll be taking my 2WD Toyota 4Runner. Any idea how long of a drive it is down to where we are going? Where does the pavment end? Am I in for a rude awakening as far as road conditions?

Thanks,

Ruben Leon
Quote:
Originally posted by gonetobaja
Just got back today. There are several survey crews working on the road and the news is that the pavement will reach puertecitos in a few months. It will bypass puertecitos inland and then go to gonzaga from there.

You heard it here first.....

Now it will be smooth road, I think Im sad....:?:

GTB

The pavement ends 12 miles North of Puertecitos !!

beercan - 4-6-2006 at 10:17 PM

After that --brace yourself and slow down !!

bbbait - 4-7-2006 at 06:03 AM

And that's a good spot to let your air down!

Packoderm - 4-7-2006 at 07:52 AM

Do you think that once the road is done and smooth they will start fencing off the federal areas?

What is the latest

Taco de Baja - 6-15-2006 at 03:43 PM

condition of the pavement?

Have they reached Puertocitos yet?

What is the dirt road like south of Puertocitos?

Thanks

bancoduo - 6-23-2006 at 05:12 PM

yes

David K - 6-23-2006 at 08:03 PM

In my latest report (see Baja Trip Reports Forum), last Sunday the new pavement ended not far past El Coloradito... maybe 15 miles from Puertecitos...

Pavement still ends 12 miles from Puertecitos--

beercan - 7-6-2006 at 08:01 PM

However they have (again) started work on that 12 mile portion. I saw one large grader building detours around the larger culverts that have collasped.
Latest rumor is that the road will be paved only to Puertecitos and no more ???

David K - 7-6-2006 at 08:07 PM

That will sure bum out Coco, who in Jan. 2005 said the road would be paved past his Corner "this year" (2005)!

The Wonderer - 7-7-2006 at 03:46 PM

Beercan,
Do you think the culverts collapsed? It seems to me that they were designed that way. At all the vados the road is concrete, not asphalt. To me, it seems that they made them this way for longevity and durability.
:?::?::?:

I know the culverts collapsed. I have installed them here in the states.

beercan - 7-7-2006 at 03:58 PM

Yes, the vados are generally concrete. But the huge gravel trucks using the road for over three years did the damage.