BajaNomad

Hwy 1, No Way!!!

GilandVal - 12-2-2010 at 08:18 PM

We left the RV in Ensenada to check out the drive to San Quintin . . . the highway construction was so massive that it would have messed up a lot of things in the RV, no less the truck. We have decided to wait awhile! We took pictures but do not know how to upload them here. The construction began a little before La Canada RV park and lasted around 12 miles.

woody with a view - 12-2-2010 at 08:22 PM

"We have decided to wait awhile!"

i hope you are young because it might be awhile..... :lol:

[Edited on 12-3-2010 by woody with a view]

DENNIS - 12-2-2010 at 08:24 PM

I didn't realize that section of road work was so bad. Seems as though we would have heard more grumbling, but this is the first.

GilandVal - 12-2-2010 at 08:39 PM

We were very surprised that we hadn't read any reports of this either, we will try to post the pictures.

woody with a view - 12-2-2010 at 08:43 PM

we went thru the stretch in october and it wasn't that bad. no wait, it was HORRENDOUS! just kidding, sorta. instead of waiting your life away, why don't you drive real slow and get your middle finger flexing, you'll need it as everyone will be passing you honking!

thank me later.....

David K - 12-2-2010 at 08:47 PM

It is not bad for a Mexican construction zone. I posted photos of it last July and saw about the same thing again in Sept. which was our last time through there. Check both Nomad Road Conditions forum and Baja Trip Reports forum to see all the Maneadero south constructiion reports.

Hwy. 1 is being widened all the way from Maneadero south... someday. Currently they are working the Maneadero to Santo Tomas section and El Rosario south (about 12 miles around El Rosario is already done.

It is very nice roadwork with shoulders wide enough for those crazy bike riders to use without killing us! :light:

mulegejim - 12-2-2010 at 08:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by GilandVal
We left the RV in Ensenada to check out the drive to San Quintin . . . the highway construction was so massive that it would have messed up a lot of things in the RV, no less the truck. We have decided to wait awhile! We took pictures but do not know how to upload them here. The construction began a little before La Canada RV park and lasted around 12 miles.


Just went north through this section of Mex-1 last week- not bad at all for us. Jim

DENNIS - 12-2-2010 at 08:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Hwy. 1 is being widened all the way from Maneadero south... someday. Currently they are working the Maneadero to Santo Tomas section and El Rosario south (about 12 miles around El Rosario is already done.

It is very nice roadwork with shoulders wide enough for those crazy bike riders to use without killing us! :light:


I wonder where they're getting all this money? Times are supposed to be tough. :?:

Bajaboy - 12-2-2010 at 09:13 PM

Traffic safety is not on the top of the list. We were amazed at the heavy equipment digging at the side of the mountain while we were only feet away. Ni modo.


Now the construction south of Tecate really bites!

woody with a view - 12-2-2010 at 09:14 PM

ever hear of the merida (not mierda!) initiative?.

vacaenbaja - 12-2-2010 at 09:42 PM

The flag men at those zones are the worst. Either they are bored and or just plain careless. I have had them wave me on three time at different
spots when there was oncoming traffic that even I could see, via dust,
noise , and one time sight. They stand up on a high perch but do a poor job
of look first signal next.

bajadogs - 12-2-2010 at 09:49 PM

I rode through last week and didn't think it was too bad. An RV would have to take it's time just like all the big rigs. It was fun on my motorcycle (klr650) and realizing my advantage passed many, many other vehicles. Topes are fun too. The road south was in great shape all the way to GN. (OH! - A dangerous curve surprises you at the long bridge south east of El Rosario, a sharp right turn before the bridge across the wash) You don't take the bridge, you take the wash for now.

oladulce - 12-2-2010 at 10:01 PM

We drove north a couple of days ago. A friend had driven the construction stretch south of Ensenada one week prior and hit the area while it was raining. He said it was hairball driving, let alone towing a cargo trailer through there because the dirt becomes as slick as ice in the rain. He said cars were sliding into oncoming "lanes", vehicles loosing control and blocking traffic, and general mayhem with no cops around to keep things orderly. It sounded like it was dangerous and miserable.

He highly recommended avoiding the area if it's been raining.

We came through there 2 days ago, mid day, in dry conditions and it was slow but no problem even towing a small travel trailer.

wessongroup - 12-2-2010 at 10:10 PM

"flag men" working on Mex 1 are true entertainment in action... never laugh so hard..

guess the guys were never "road guards" when in basic... :lol::lol:

last trip we were up on the toll road making the bend to the right at Califa... and right there in the middle of the right lane, some guy with one flag, no cones out, and he is about 50-75 feet from the area where the construction was on going, a skip loader with a may 10 yard scope, and a dump tuck which he was loading... luckily the wife and I had just come down the day before and knew there was work there.. and had slowed down to about 25 mph... and she had let traffic get away from us between Puerto Nuevo and Califa, so we did not have an emergency situation... but, must agree.. one must NEVER lower your guard to unseen condition just around that next corner... very dangerous working conditions for the crews and the "traffic".. not to very good... ya think the Road Department could pick up a couple cones.. or something... tie a goat out there...... sorry goat.. I'm sure an intelligent animal like a goat could do just about a good a job.. just tie the flat to it's tail... think the overall flagging would be about the same.

sanquintinsince73 - 12-2-2010 at 11:18 PM

I drive thru on a 30' RV with 20' trailer every month with no problem, just drive a little slower. As for the flagmen, these are very poor, uneducated, often illiterate, human beings trying to earn their $10.00 per day to feed their families. I cannot fathom laughing at them, I always wave and sometimes even render a salute.

David K - 12-2-2010 at 11:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajadogs
I rode through last week and didn't think it was too bad. An RV would have to take it's time just like all the big rigs. It was fun on my motorcycle (klr650) and realizing my advantage passed many, many other vehicles. Topes are fun too. The road south was in great shape all the way to GN. (OH! - A dangerous curve surprises you at the long bridge south east of El Rosario, a sharp right turn before the bridge across the wash) You don't take the bridge, you take the wash for now.


The bridge was washed out last January (as well as the Santo Domingo River and San Vicente bridges)...

David K - 12-2-2010 at 11:39 PM

Paved detour alongside El Rosario bridge, July, 2010:

irenemm - 12-3-2010 at 12:55 AM

the road construction will continue all the way to Colonet. It is not bad at all. some times the wait is long when they remove a boulder. this is nothing anyone remember the roads when it was just a large pot hole.
I think it is OK now. they are working pretty fast for here. It is all worth it.
some waits last week to remove the boulders was 1 an half hours. this is what the Baja is about
enjoy the adventure.

Joelt - 12-3-2010 at 01:45 AM

You should have seen it in October after a couple of days of rain. At one point a semi slid up against the bank and another heading the other way slid towards it stoping about a foot away. We got stoped for a while near the end of the construction but made it through. It was a sloppy mess but not that bad. Just went slow. We were there at about 6am. Wouldn't want to be there much later in those conditions. If it's wet I would lock the hubs if you can. I made it through in 2wd but thought I was going to have to go in to lock them.

Cypress - 12-3-2010 at 06:03 AM

Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS


I wonder where they're getting all this money? Times are supposed to be tough. :?:

One of those "shovel ready" projects the US stimulus package funded?

sanquintinsince73 - 12-3-2010 at 09:28 AM

Quote:
Quote:
Originally posted by Cypress
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS


I wonder where they're getting all this money? Times are supposed to be tough. :?:

One of those "shovel ready" projects the US stimulus package funded?

It's what one political party does when losing it's grip on power nationwide.

Bugman - 12-3-2010 at 10:46 AM

I just went through there and the Ensenada-Tecate route on Saturday and other than being a bit slow here and there it was no big deal. I would probably avoid it during or shortly after a rain though. I did that Tecate stretch last year in the rain and it was a royal mess. :cool:

David K - 12-3-2010 at 11:12 AM

It would be great if folks would note the actual mileage of the dirt detours (as to how long they are or total up to)... Thanks!

Dennis' secret friend said the Tecate-Ensenada hwy. construction (a 16 miles section) was 85% finished, last week... that means only 2.4 dirt detour miles... Then BajaBoy just posted yesterday it really 'bites'???

DENNIS - 12-3-2010 at 11:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Dennis' secret friend said the Tecate-Ensenada hwy. construction (a 16 miles section) was 85% finished, last week... that means only 2.4 dirt detour miles... Then BajaBoy just posted yesterday it really 'bites'???


He's just a modest, humble Nomad since 2003 who doesn't want to post at this time.
We need a third opinion on the road work.

David K - 12-3-2010 at 11:39 AM

10-4, I know there are lots of lurkers or former active Nomads who just don't want the hassle of dealing with 'them' others... :light:

woody with a view - 12-3-2010 at 12:19 PM

which "others"?

msteve1014 - 12-3-2010 at 12:27 PM

I went through both roads in July and in November. Neither was bad enough to keep me from going again. I will make 1 more trip at Christmas. I think there is more dirt than Dennis's friend made it sound, but I do not log the miles or gps routes, maybe on the next run.

wessongroup - 12-3-2010 at 12:29 PM

Maybe something like this would clear it all up on roads.... we classify them... this has worked really well on Terrorism, I think.. :lol:




[Edited on 12-3-2010 by wessongroup]

South of El Rosario Highway Construction

bryanmckenzie - 12-5-2010 at 06:43 PM

Pictures from July located HERE

Phil S - 12-5-2010 at 07:24 PM

I can see where folks who have no experience on anything other than blacktop might view this "construction" as really bad. Now having been driving Hwy 1 since the mid 80's, these 'construction' areas, are like driving on clouds. So lets stick with reality. They 'ain't bad'!!! I'll be traveling them beginning in the morning, and will report on them as we progress.
(depending upon where the wi fi signals are. We'll get to Loreto first night. San Quintin second night. Oceanside third night. Danville fourth night OOOOhhhhhhh, wait. No one cares about Cal highways. Sorry.

[Edited on 12-6-2010 by Phil S]

bryanmckenzie - 12-7-2010 at 06:08 PM

Hey Phil; when you get a chance (WiFi) --- and if you haven't already passed by --- I neglected to get construction zone photos near Loreto this summer. Again, a major bridge/arroyo construction project. I believe it was south of Loreto? Maybe north. Memory is unreliable and field notes are incomplete. It looked similar to the major work Vincente Guerrero & el Rosario bridges work.
Quote:
Originally posted by Phil S
I'll be traveling them beginning in the morning, and will report on them as we progress ... get to Loreto first night. San Quintin second night. [Edited on 12-6-2010 by Phil S]

DanO - 12-7-2010 at 06:20 PM

I drove the Maneadero stretch on Sunday afternoon, when it was dry. Not a problem. A few weeks earlier, after some heavy rain, it was a tad slick in spots.

windgrrl - 12-7-2010 at 09:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by GilandVal
We left the RV in Ensenada to check out the drive to San Quintin . . . the highway construction was so massive that it would have messed up a lot of things in the RV, no less the truck. We have decided to wait awhile! We took pictures but do not know how to upload them here. The construction began a little before La Canada RV park and lasted around 12 miles.


Drove the length of Mex 1 for the first time last week with truck and tow RV. Worst section was free road section just past Tecate. Construction slowed us down as there is quite a bit in Northern Baja. Might be different if if rained.

Marc - 12-17-2010 at 10:15 PM

Drove through in September and didn't think it was that bad. Just annoying. I think the posts stressing not driving through during rain is good advice.

BajaDanD - 12-17-2010 at 10:32 PM

The construction zone south of Tecate was way way way worse.

wessongroup - 12-17-2010 at 11:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by sanquintinsince73
I drive thru on a 30' RV with 20' trailer every month with no problem, just drive a little slower. As for the flagmen, these are very poor, uneducated, often illiterate, human beings trying to earn their $10.00 per day to feed their families. I cannot fathom laughing at them, I always wave and sometimes even render a salute.


I was not laughing at these folks, rather I fear for their lives... and was laughing an unbelieveable dangerous situation which no one on the crew saw as needing any additional attention for vehicle coming around that bend at 60-70 miles per hour .. suppose I could have just observed and not thought anything, but I did... usually do, for sure with CalTrans, and and others that work on the road ways... those we make jokes about... and tell them at parties.... about "GOVERNMENT WORKERS" being stupid, lazy.. always standing on their shovels... hard thing of the day is finding a new coffee shop ... ...

These poor guys and gals are not trained and are exposed to extremely dangerous working conditions, no safety gear and get extremely low pay, like just about everyone that works for living down in Baja if they are lucky they make ten dollars ... and I always try and give them a chance ... to keep living.. by going slowly and giving as much attention to driving down in Baja as they deserve under such working conditions... plus consider also that 80% of all highway accidents in Mexico are the result of improper vehicle maintance ... real nice place to be, some where people are going to be making emergency move... due to improper advance warning of Highway construction at times by the individuals preporming same...

Poor training and the poor pay was not what I was laughing about.... rather a situation that was prone for disaster...

You are to be congratulated... that you drove safely and prudently some do not... an I wave and say Hi too...

mcfez - 12-18-2010 at 09:51 AM

Anyone here have some photos of this wash during rain season?

David K - 12-18-2010 at 09:57 AM

The Highway south from Tecate is Mex. 3... for about 65 miles until it joins Hwy. 1 just north of Ensenada.

karmatourer - 12-18-2010 at 11:51 PM

I will be heading to Cabo on my KLR around Jan 11 or so-thanks for the heads up.
Quote:
Originally posted by bajadogs
I rode through last week and didn't think it was too bad. An RV would have to take it's time just like all the big rigs. It was fun on my motorcycle (klr650) and realizing my advantage passed many, many other vehicles. Topes are fun too. The road south was in great shape all the way to GN. (OH! - A dangerous curve surprises you at the long bridge south east of El Rosario, a sharp right turn before the bridge across the wash) You don't take the bridge, you take the wash for now.