BajaNomad

New Toll Road coming: San Ysidro POE to Playas de Tijuana!

Woooosh - 6-1-2010 at 09:58 AM

Here's some good news for those who hate driving "the gauntlet". Seems it is cheaper to add a double deck toll road over the existing via rapida than to tear out what is basically a slum and widen the road that is there. Expected toll is $2 each way when it is completed in two years. Safety for us is the biggest winner- my family prevailed in an armed carjack attempt on this stretch of road this year. The new toll road will once again have cameras and surveillance features to make passing through TJ less of a safety concern to those headed further south.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/01/alternate-bor...

Cluster Fuc

Dave - 6-1-2010 at 10:18 AM

So...What happens when the toll road meets the border?

bajaguy - 6-1-2010 at 10:22 AM

Should make crossing SB at Otay a real zoo

Bajahowodd - 6-1-2010 at 11:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
Here's some good news for those who hate driving "the gauntlet". Seems it is cheaper to add a double deck toll road over the existing via rapida than to tear out what is basically a slum and widen the road that is there. Expected toll is $2 each way when it is completed in two years. Safety for us is the biggest winner- my family prevailed in an armed carjack attempt on this stretch of road this year. The new toll road will once again have cameras and surveillance features to make passing through TJ less of a safety concern to those headed further south.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/01/alternate-bor...


I know that surveillance cameras are in your blood.

However, it would seem to me that the new road, apparently having no intermediate access, and charging a toll, would appear to be less deserving of cameras, than would be the old road below it. After all, many folks will still use the free road rather than pay $2 for a 5 mile ride.

wessongroup - 6-1-2010 at 11:54 AM

Man... if they thought crossing was a b-tch before.... oh, my... they might start selling xanax from vendors that work the traffic.. or, ammo for some to just end it all... Wow... and I thought the widening of the Santa Ana Freeway was a tough one... for 20 plus years..

They are going to do this in TWO years.. can't say I want to watch... should prove interesting from many different "views"...

God with God...

DENNIS - 6-1-2010 at 12:41 PM

A Two Buck Toll??? I guess they're finally coming around to seeing the advantage of volume selling.

Martyman - 6-1-2010 at 03:57 PM

That new toll road should be finished about the same time the Escalera Nautica is completed. That, my friend, will be great!

Woooosh - 6-1-2010 at 06:48 PM

I can see how they would easily build it at the border. You would take the current route to the via rapida which is on the elevated level and that's where the toll-road starts. That old loop to the via apida is still open and non-paying cars would take that loop to the lower level and stay on it. The hard part is the canyon at the Playas end of the road IMHO.

I don't think I'd pay $2 to skip that part, but can see where bypassing TJ completely would be a positive driving experience for many and encourage tourism further south.

DENNIS - 6-1-2010 at 07:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh

I don't think I'd pay $2 to skip that part, but can see where bypassing TJ completely would be a positive driving experience for many and encourage tourism further south.


I was thinking the toll was low, but I suppose it's about the same as the others...except the Toll Road over to Tecate. What is that? 86 Ps for 16 miles? That's pricey.

Udo - 6-1-2010 at 08:22 PM

The current toll roads fees
are a little over $7.00 U.S. one way. Ad the new tolls and a one way trip to Ensenada will be closer to $12.00 U.S.

BajaWarrior - 6-1-2010 at 08:33 PM

Two bucks? Got that right here. Build that road! (Road building is good for Mexico's economy anyway)

k-rico - 6-2-2010 at 05:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
The current toll roads fees
are a little over $7.00 U.S. one way. Ad the new tolls and a one way trip to Ensenada will be closer to $12.00 U.S.


???????????????

$9 or did I miss something

------------------------------------------------------

I'd prefer they tear down the north side slum, some of the oldest "structures" in TJ (what a mess), and rebuild the current road but I can see the logic of using a private road builder and tolls instead of tax money. Plus it leaves more tax money for the redevelopment project in Playas, which is progressing nicely. The new seawall and boardwalk is quite a project. They will increase the value of the oceanfront properties (also a mess) and lead to more redevelopment. The El Nino in the early 80s wiped out the beachfront and it has been decaying for nearly 30 years. But new buildings are being built now.

Road construction has been going on all over the city for the past few years.

Good for TJ!! A sure way to get rid of the rateros is clean up the garbage.


[Edited on 6-2-2010 by k-rico]

DENNIS - 6-2-2010 at 06:57 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
The current toll roads fees
are a little over $7.00 U.S. one way. Ad the new tolls and a one way trip to Ensenada will be closer to $12.00 U.S.


Since we're using these numbers as a comparison, it should be added that the 7 bucks is for three Toll booths, not that it means much, but it kinda does in a way. :yes:

DENNIS - 6-2-2010 at 07:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by k-rico
Good for TJ!! A sure way to get rid of the rateros is clean up the garbage.





Where will they go? North?

bajadock - 6-2-2010 at 08:28 AM

From my first experience on September 5, 2006 and more than 100 crossings since, the "Welcome to Tijuana" experience has always been an adventure.

Cluster flux traffic, lane lottery, road construction, Playas/Scenic Rd exit sign?, basura barrio and other distractions are the perfect alarm for gringo travelers. My statistical analysis is running at 1 in 4 of my USA guests finding the specified route. I just tell them that getting lost in TJ is part of the fun.

New construction of proposed double deck will be exciting. Maybe extend that idea all the way back north to 805/5 merge? :tumble:

1 hour 30 minutes from downtown San Diego to Ensenada cruiseport via Free Road last Saturday evening. That's some serious Pacifico change in toll savings.

Construction on the free road within TJ(green line) is 90+% completed and I zoom on it during non-rush hour. It was vacant last Saturday at 5pm. Still some construction happening on south end of that route approaching Rosarito Norte.

[Edited on 6-2-2010 by bajadock]

Woooosh - 6-2-2010 at 09:19 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajadock
From my first experience on September 5, 2006 and more than 100 crossings since, the "Welcome to Tijuana" experience has always been an adventure.

Cluster flux traffic, lane lottery, road construction, Playas/Scenic Rd exit sign?, basura barrio and other distractions are the perfect alarm for gringo travelers. My statistical analysis is running at 1 in 4 of my USA guests finding the specified route. I just tell them that getting lost in TJ is part of the fun.

New construction of proposed double deck will be exciting. Maybe extend that idea all the way back north to 805/5 merge? :tumble:

1 hour 30 minutes from downtown San Diego to Ensenada cruiseport via Free Road last Saturday evening. That's some serious Pacifico change in toll savings.

Construction on the free road within TJ(green line) is 90+% completed and I zoom on it during non-rush hour. It was vacant last Saturday at 5pm. Still some construction happening on south end of that route approaching Rosarito Norte.

[Edited on 6-2-2010 by bajadock]


I take the "green route" free road for a scenery change once in a while. Yes, the widening of it and improvements are coming along fast. It's amazing what Mexico can do on road construction when they put their minds to it, really. What is almost as amazing on that driving route is the absolute sea of thousands of new tiny houses in sprawling developments being built on the hillsides- it's totally loco.

postholedigger - 6-3-2010 at 10:24 PM

My question is, will there still be a free road along the border?

From how I read it, and I could have this all wrong, is that they would slap a 4 lane south bound road above the current 2 lane road and turn the "bottom level" in to 4 lane north bound toll road thus widening it from the current 2 lanes in each direction.

Woooosh - 6-4-2010 at 10:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by postholedigger
My question is, will there still be a free road along the border?

From how I read it, and I could have this all wrong, is that they would slap a 4 lane south bound road above the current 2 lane road and turn the "bottom level" in to 4 lane north bound toll road thus widening it from the current 2 lanes in each direction.

They would slap the four lane toll road above the existing four lane free road- which means if you went over the right edge from the top level you would land on USA territory. I'll bet an industrious group of bungee jumping coyotes will emerge- or maybe people will just jump.

We'll see how they handle the construction detours- which will be a nightmare for the next two years for sure. Going towards San Diego- the downtown route running parallel to the via rapida is six lanes wide. Coming from the border to Playas will be a lot harder as there are no direct, wide, on-way streets. I might do Otay for the way back south if they ever get that far in this project.