BajaNomad - San Juanico road

San Juanico road

chino - 9-27-2008 at 09:33 AM

Any word on the plans or progress on the road south from S.J. to La Purisma, or over to Las Barancas?

CP - 9-27-2008 at 10:42 AM

The past progress is now regress since the last rains.
Can't answer for plans....

[Edited on 9-27-2008 by CP]

chino - 9-28-2008 at 10:03 PM

Maybe that will change the plan to swing the road along the coast to Las Barancas

joel - 9-28-2008 at 11:06 PM

The road was still at least a year, maybe years from completion before all of the rains. I'm guessing the rains set them back 6 months plus. I doubt the rains will cause any substantial re-routing.

It will still be an adventure for a while...

Juan del Rio - 9-29-2008 at 12:13 PM

...no word on when they will make repairs or continue with the construction. The dirt part of the South road received it's fair share of damage, but is ok at the moment. Any more depressions like Julio will cause additional set backs. This photo is the new bridge that was wipeout at Mesquitel earlier this month.

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Skeet/Loreto - 9-29-2008 at 12:20 PM

How about the Road to San Gagorio? Can I get out to the Beach?
Appreciate the Info.
Skeet

chino - 9-29-2008 at 12:30 PM

thanks for the info river john, it's nice to know that there will always, be at least an element ,of adventure in baja travel.

Chino

Up and over most of the time

Juan del Rio - 9-29-2008 at 01:23 PM

Skeet, as you head South from San Juanico, you can drive the beach almost to the end and sometimes make it around the bend at a minus tide. If not, then you can take the sand dune up and over (you can see a small trail to the right in the photo above). This takes you to San Gregorio.

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Juan del Rio - 9-29-2008 at 01:25 PM

The road will follow the arroyo on the West side. If you continue on that road it takes you to the road most folks use to come in and out of San Juanico.

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Juan del Rio - 9-29-2008 at 01:29 PM

If you want to continue on to Barrancas, you have to go cross before you get to the regular dirt road in to SJ at a small ranch, then follow the road South and cross further up in the Purisma Arroyo and make your way back to the beach where you will pick up the road that will take you to Barrancas.

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Juan del Rio - 9-29-2008 at 01:51 PM

Once you cross the Purisima Arroyo, you would make your way back towards the beach area and continue South to Barrancas. You can see this road to the upper left/across the arroyo in the photo. Chino, it is an adventure for sure!

[Edited on 9-29-2008 by Juan del Rio]

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David K - 9-29-2008 at 04:29 PM

Great photos Juan... Can you do a new map showing the new paved roads and or / graded roads that are being shown and discussed?

I will post what is available to most of us... stand by...

David K - 9-29-2008 at 05:08 PM

A couple of good maps of the area... but no 'new' paved roads shown:

2003 edition map (Baja Almanac)

2007 edition map (AAA)

Close Up

David K - 9-29-2008 at 05:16 PM

Skeet/Loreto - 9-29-2008 at 05:36 PM

Thanks much Juan:
Been there several times and took my 84 year old Mother there.
Use to go do Lobster Traps with Kieko, Juan from la paz.
Caught Corvina by the Dozens as well as had Doplhins come up and take bait from my Hand.
Where you there when the Whale Beached and Died on the South Side of the Estuary??. I have some of the Bones hanging on my Barn Wall here in Texas.

Sure appreciate the maps as I plan on a trip there in Jan.

Skeet

Glad to help...

Juan del Rio - 9-29-2008 at 09:03 PM

Skeet, glad the information was good for you;

Chino, David K has posted some great maps of the area that are really current.

The above photo of Miguel was taken at the dedication of the second part of the road with the Governor, in November 2006 out on the road being constructed at the time.

[Edited on 9-30-2008 by Juan del Rio]

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Juan del Rio - 9-29-2008 at 09:10 PM

David K., thanks for the great maps! The proposed road seems to follow the maps you presented earlier. There has been no action on this road for over a year. That's ok with most of the folks I know.

"Good roads bring bad people, bad roads bring the good one's".

Changed it a little from Mama, but no matter how you quote it, we all know it's true.

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David K - 9-30-2008 at 10:06 AM

Thanks Juan... that is great... So did they build a big bridge over the La Purisima estuary/ river?

David K - 9-30-2008 at 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Juan del Rio
David K., thanks for the great maps! The proposed road seems to follow the maps you presented earlier. There has been no action on this road for over a year. That's ok with most of the folks I know.

"Good roads bring bad people, bad roads bring the good one's".

Changed it a little from Mama, but no matter how you quote it, we all know it's true.

I drew onto the BA topo map the route of the highway, as it seems to show on that sign...

I am curious Juan, is the whole entire route graded yet. Is there bridges built over the estuary/ river? Should people driving north for San Juanico go to Las Barrancas to catch the new road... or is the southern part still not there? How much pavement was actually applied (from where to where)?

Many thanks!

woody with a view - 9-30-2008 at 04:24 PM

Jeez, can't anyone just follow a map and find-what-they-find when they get there? all these flocking (BN's PC police choice of words, not mine) maps.... everything is STILL where the cartographers drew it! leave something to the imagination!!!!

edit: fight the PC police....we're mostly all adults. the rest will become adults before they know it!

[Edited on 9-30-2008 by woody in ob]

Barry A. - 9-30-2008 at 04:42 PM

If "they" would forget the "all weather" bridges and culverts and just build super good "Texas Crossings", then "they" would not have to worry about wash outs every time a big storm comes thru. Storm comes and floods come----- you just wait a few hours and then drive-on across with Texas Crossings in the desert, and you don't have to re-build the road every time.

I have never understood their (and our) thinking on this.

Barry (the engineer want-a-bee)

[Edited on 9-30-2008 by Barry A.]

rts551 - 9-30-2008 at 04:47 PM

Lots of boulders and rocks come floating down across the "road". They have become the road in some cases. Probably have to be cleared on a "Texas crossing"

Barry A. - 9-30-2008 at 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rts551
Lots of boulders and rocks come floating down across the "road". They have become the road in some cases. Probably have to be cleared on a "Texas crossing"

Yes, but wouldn't it be faster, cheaper, and easier to push those boulders "aside" than building an entire new bridge, or culvert??

Barry

David K - 10-1-2008 at 09:04 AM

Is that like the dips (vados) in Anza Borrego, Barry?

Barry A. - 10-1-2008 at 09:14 AM

Yeah, David. A "texas crossing" is often used in desert environs as an inexpensive way to "handle" flash floods when building secondary roads. Baja uses them a lot, also.

The vados are reinforced with concrete and rock, so when the flash flood comes it simply sweeps over the road instead of backing up behind a culvert, or between bridge abutments, and then washing out the road as it tops over it. The vados don't have to be as abrupt as the one's between San Felipe and Puertecitos----those are really extreme, but if more gentle, traffic flows nicely.

"Texas crossings" are not appropriate for really high-speed heavily traveled highways, but for secondary roads they work great, in my opinion, and sure save a lot of time and money, in both building, and clearing after floods.

Barry

David K - 10-1-2008 at 09:21 AM

Okay thanks... I just never heard the term 'Texas Crossing' before... Hwy. 98 between Ocotillo and Calexico has them, too... they are long and easy to cruise over at 65 mph. The ones south of San Felipe are insane... I would imaging that they will all get removed when the highway gets out to Laguna Chapala and Mex. 5 becomes a main route south...?

mtgoat666 - 10-1-2008 at 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Okay thanks... I just never heard the term 'Texas Crossing' before... Hwy. 98 between Ocotillo and Calexico has them, too... they are long and easy to cruise over at 65 mph. The ones south of San Felipe are insane... I would imaging that they will all get removed when the highway gets out to Laguna Chapala and Mex. 5 becomes a main route south...?

Re "texas crossing,..." here in California we call them "Arizona crossings." Go figure out that one :lol:

Barry A. - 10-1-2008 at 09:58 AM

David--------the problem with the vados south of San Felipe is that the arroyos are so deep and narrow (where the vados are) that they would have had to spend a lot of bucks on the individual approaches to those vados to even them out and mitigate the abruptness------they chose not to do that (money again, I presume).

But in order to eliminate them or make them gentle, they will still have to spend some big bucks later on. I am betting that they go with culverts instead, and that means that the road will be extensively closed when a Tropical Storm (or worse) comes thru, or they will just leave them the way they are now (which probably is not a bad idea).

The arroyos east of Ocotillo in the Imperial Valley, and also south of the Ocotillo Wells OHV area, are all pretty much at the same level as the highway, making things a lot easier to handle when constructing the "texas crossings".

As you might imagine, there are a lot of "Texas Crossings" in Texas, as I am sure Skeet can attest too. :yes:

Barry

Barry A. - 10-1-2008 at 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666

Re "texas crossing,..." here in California we call them "Arizona crossings." Go figure out that one :lol:

-----that is a new one on me, even as a 3rd generation Californio------never heard the phrase "Arizona crossing", but it does make sense.

We learn something everyday------thanks, Mtgoat.

Barry

Skeet/Loreto - 10-1-2008 at 10:42 AM

Yes there are many here in Texas which when compared to other states has an excellent system of Roads that on the most part are well kept.

I am sure that Californias prefer to call their crossings Arizona. Goes back to the dust Bowl days when all those Texan, Okies, and Arkies came to the Central Valley and Ruined it.

Very Serious and True to this Date; Some of my Classmates from Amarillo will still not go to California, are still claiming that Calif. Ruins People! And they are over 75 years old, !!

It takes all kinds.

mtgoat666 - 10-1-2008 at 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skeet/Loreto
Yes there are many here in Texas which when compared to other states has an excellent system of Roads that on the most part are well kept.

I am sure that Californias prefer to call their crossings Arizona. Goes back to the dust Bowl days when all those Texan, Okies, and Arkies came to the Central Valley and Ruined it.

Very Serious and True to this Date; Some of my Classmates from Amarillo will still not go to California, are still claiming that Calif. Ruins People! And they are over 75 years old, !!

It takes all kinds.

skeet's peeps in Texas are nuts :lol:

as you are in baja, why not call it a vado?
if you don't like spanish, here are some more words:
ford
furt
voorde
watersplash
underwater road
irish bridge
causeway

dtbushpilot - 10-1-2008 at 11:16 AM

In New Mexico we call them Vado's.....at least I do....dt

Barry A. - 10-1-2008 at 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dtbushpilot
In New Mexico we call them Vado's.....at least I do....dt

A "vado" is a "ford" according to the Spanish dictionary. A "texas crossing" etc. is not necessarily a "ford"-------it is only a "ford" when the water is running.

----which brings up the question why do the signs in Mexico say "vado" at "texas crossings"? I guess to tell motorists that when running water is present, this is a "vado" (a ford).

Makes sense, to me.

Anybody out there in favor of culverts??? :lol:

(oh boy, I must be getting bored)

Barry

mtgoat666 - 10-1-2008 at 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.

Quote:

Originally posted by dtbushpilot
In New Mexico we call them Vado's.....at least I do....dt

(oh boy, I must be getting bored)

Barry

wet or dry, it is still a vado (or ford).

culverts are coverered surface water conveyances (e.g. pipe or box culvert)

Barry A. - 10-1-2008 at 03:30 PM

MtGoat said, "culverts are coverered surface water conveyances (e.g. pipe or box culvert) "------

------and I say, "not after a tropical storm or hurricane comes thru".

October 1st Observation...

Juan del Rio - 10-1-2008 at 10:10 PM

We came in yesterday on the South Road from Loreto Airport and there was a "quickie" thunderstom that blew through the Insurgentes area and knocked out power. As we drove West towards SJ, we came across this which had just happened. We think this was the problem. Pretty green as well!

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South Road iin fair shape...

Juan del Rio - 10-1-2008 at 10:20 PM

We rented a Durango with very poor shocks, great A/C and did not lower the air pressure in the tires. We had seven adults with luggage and a couple of boards on top. No problem at all with the paved road and the dirt portion of the South Road. The grader had been through the week before, so it was a "fair" ride in from the turnoff. FYI, water temp was 83 degrees today; Air was hot, hot w/little to zero breeze.

David, there is no bridge...I have no idea how they will ever do a bridge across the Purisima Arroyo. It's huge, especially when the rains from the mountains come through! Gotta love the thought process of the road builders though!

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