Does anyone have new...recent..info about the road south of Puertecitos to Gonzaga Bay? Specifically, have they finished the new bridge there and
how many miles of the old "That Road" are left.
Thanks,BBmotoged - 10-9-2010 at 09:45 AM
Yes the bridge is finished ...and pavement goes for another 5-10 miles south of that, before the most enjoyable rough ride to Gonzaga...dizzyspots - 10-9-2010 at 11:09 AM
Motoged: are you saying the road now PASSES the bridge at Huerfanito and pavement goes 10 miles further?
In June the pavement ended BEFORE the Huerfanito bridge, NICE graded dirt for another 6 miles or so then the fabulous old school road into
Gonzaga...Lista - 10-9-2010 at 05:42 PM
As I am headed down in 3 weeks, part of me is doing a little new road dance! (yes, I can make it to camp before dark!) The rest of me.... just shed a
tear......mcfez - 10-9-2010 at 06:58 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by dizzyspots
Motoged: are you saying the road now PASSES the bridge at Huerfanito and pavement goes 10 miles further?
In June the pavement ended BEFORE the Huerfanito bridge, NICE graded dirt for another 6 miles or so then the fabulous old school road into
Gonzaga...
Can someone confirm this information?David K - 10-9-2010 at 07:57 PM
News to me... and I am following all posts on the Gonzaga Road...
Ged, the bridge being refered is 20 miles from Puertecitos, about 2 miles past Huerfanito (Little Orphan Island) , and a mile past the detour off the
pavement onto the 6 mile good section paralleling the road work.
That bridges seemed a ways to go... and there was no work on the far side, at all... only beyond, avoiding an area reported to be an archeological
site discoved by road crews.motoged - 10-9-2010 at 08:54 PM
So......what is that BIG bridge south of Puertecitos?
Last year mid-march we detoured around the unfinished bridge going south...10 days later I rode north over the bridge without the detour being
used.....pavement south of the bridge for a handful of miles and off the pavement to a parallel rough road (east side of paved road not yet open)
south to Gonzaga. David K - 10-9-2010 at 09:49 PM
Yes, there is a big bridge outside of Puertecitos... but that is NOT past El Huerfanito (20 miles south)... much closer to Puertecitos, like La
Costilla/ Cristina area. There is often more than one bridge on a new highway...Skipjack Joe - 10-9-2010 at 11:14 PM
From google earth it looks as though the paved road has reached the northern boundary of the large alluvial fan just south of Huefernito (maybe 3
miles).
30 06' 23. 05" N
114 37' 44 .31" W
Can't tell whether it's paved or well graded up to there but definitely not paved south of there.
I'm assuming that's last night's image.capt. mike - 10-10-2010 at 05:06 AM
bruce are you gonna be at gonzaga for the race?
Baja 1000
bonanza bucko - 10-10-2010 at 07:00 AM
Capt. Mike....nope. Gonna miss that. We are driving mostly now that we can spend two to three weeks so I tend to avoid races on That Road.
BBbonanza bucko - 10-10-2010 at 07:04 AM
The bridge 2 miles south of the el Huerfanito turn off is the one that I was asking about....it's the one that has been holding up construction
farther south for about five months.
If that "archaeological site" is the reason for the delay I think it will be a while before they proceed.....that who alluvial plain east of the
mountains was probably a good place for indian villages with access to good fishing....lotsa bones laying around. Of course, the road completed so
far, also was built through a lot of memorials...one of them for good ole Ray Grove at the top of the second of the Tres Marias.
BBdeanoid - 10-10-2010 at 10:29 PM
I just got back from my first trip down south of the season. The Gonzaga Road is in exactly the same DRIVABLE shape that it was over Memorial Day.
It's drivable 18.5 miles, plus or minus depending on your odometer, south of the Puertecitos cutoff. It ends at the big dirt pile that people try to
drive over for some reason or another. I reckon they should have made a bigger pile. Although I can take a hint, others apparently can't. The paved
road from there heads inland and is quite a distance from the old road. Until the contractor removes the dirt pile, don't bother trying to stretch the
paved experience....it ain't worth it, trust me. Whether the big bridge south of there is done or not, I can't tell you, because I simply exit at the
dirt pile and drive 35 MPH, plus or minus, on the nicely graded dirt road that ends where the new, new road, cum paved highway, re-converges with the
ca. '87 road. That convergence point is at about the 25.7 mile point (my odometer) and lies a short distance south of the Cinco Islas Cafe and a short
stretch north of Okie's Landing. Today (Sunday 10/10) the road crews were working full blast paving that end-game section. The big rockcrusher plant
up by Tano's was also going huevos-out. After that, there was no sign whatsoever that further construction was even contemplated, save for survey
markers I suspect. The remaining miles to Punta Bufeo, or Alfonsina's or wherever else you plan to go south of there is over the mucho hammered good
ol' road, that hasn't been maintained since late 2004. The good news is that at least no water erosion screwed it up further. As far as vehicle
traffic goes, it's already about as messed up as it can get....I think. As far as I'm concerned, they can stop anytime now. Ain't gonna happen, but
wishful thinking never hurts. The impetus for this route is commerce from the mainland to lower Baja and vice versa. As far as I can figure, SCT
really didn't build this to promote tourism in a place with no infrastructure, very limited water resources, and once-great fishing diminishing every
day. To what extent that tourism is increased as a by-product remains to be seen.David K - 10-10-2010 at 10:55 PM
They do construction in 10 km. bites. The road work continues just beyond the unfinished bridge, for 6 miles (10 km). There is a gap at the far side
of the bridge where nothing has been done... but just out of sight from the bridge, the road work goes on. The new highway runs just inland of the
current road... which has been graded smooth for construction access, for 6 miles.
Our odometers are a match it seems...
I did a trip report with photos last July that included the road from Puetrecitos to Hwy. 1... Here is the road log to Gonzaga Bay...
(the pavement goes 1.0 mile past the sand piles to the unfinished bridge.... 1/2 mile past the sand piles is a signed turnoff to Campo Tano...)
Here is the road log from Monday, July 19, 2010 (was posted on the Baja Road Conditions forum):
17.6 (20 min.) El Huerfanito (off to east of highway, no sign)
18.5 Detour off pavement onto older road, regraded for construction traffic. Piles of sand on road mark this point, no sign. Ahead on pavement is sign
for Campo Tano at Mile 19.0. At 19.3 is a sign 'End of Pavement, 200 mtrs.'). At 19.5 is the absolute end at an unfinished bridge. No sign of road
work on the opposite side of arroyo. Road work does continue beyond, out of sight from here.
Return back to Mile 18.5, detour onto dirt... log continues from this point.
25.1 (34 min. from Puertecitos, not including run to end of pavement) End of new road construction alongside old road. Old road new grading ends...
very rough, rocky road on to Gonzaga. Motorhomes and trailers should avoid!
26.0 'Okie Landing' to east (note cement pads along end of gravel beach marking the fish camp of the 1960's.
33.1 (1 hr. 14 min.) Campo Delfines
36.3 (1 hr. 26 min.) Las Encantadas
37.9 (1 hr. 31 min.) Punta Bufeo
43.1 (1 hr. 59 min.) El Faro
43.4 (2 hr. 1 min.) Papa Fernandez' Bahia San Luis Gonzaga
Military Checkpont is just a mile + ahead.
46.1 (2 hr. 12 min.) Alfonsina's Pemex (closed from 2-4 pm), Rancho Grande Market just ahead on right.
[Edited on 10-11-2010 by David K]
Road report
Baja_Chris - 10-11-2010 at 03:07 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by bonanza bucko
Does anyone have new...recent..info about the road south of Puertecitos to Gonzaga Bay? Specifically, have they finished the new bridge there and
how many miles of the old "That Road" are left.
Thanks,BB
I made that trip 6 days ago, and the after the pavement ended there was another 36 miles of rough "old road". No water damage anywhere. I then went
south from there to Mex 1. The road was in good shape, just rough and slow going.
Baja_chriscj5orion - 10-12-2010 at 05:30 PM
Jus there last week....same ole stuff.
Going back around 1st week/Nov,,,be there for the race.MelissaF - 11-3-2010 at 04:40 AM
Yeah the bridge is ready to use and you can use that way.mcfez - 11-3-2010 at 07:28 AM
