BajaNomad

Hwy 5 update

PaulW - 9-10-2013 at 06:58 AM

The Current State Of Highway Projects
September 5, 2013 5:19 pm
Baja East Coast
As mentioned in La Crónica newspaper on September 4 2013, the Communications and Transportation Secretariat (SCT) has delivered a brief informing about their plans regarding the road development for this part of Baja California in the following 6 years.
Currently there are 2 federal road projects being executed, the Mexicali – San Felipe highway and the San Felipe – Laguna Chapala highway.
One of the intentions behind these projects is to increase and motivate the flow of heavy trucks loading cargo coming from Baja South through San Felipe to avoid detouring on to Ensenada and Tijuana in order to reach Mexicali.
The second goal is to benefit the Real Estate industry and bring an important impulse to Tourism and positively impact the region between San Felipe and Laguna Chapala.
Current state of highway projects
1. Mexicali-San Felipe
This project has an approved budget of 112 million pesos for 2013. Covering the area from Ejido Durango at kilometer 38 to kilometer 190 in San Felipe. According to the SCT representative Jorge Cháirez Guerra from BC SCT, 80% of this project has been executed already and they are willing to have it fully operational by December. Although the projected first detour at kilometer 72 which implies the building of three bridges and the section corresponding from kilometer 106 to the 111 has an advance of only 55%.
About kilometer 110 there will be a modification made to the curve which requires to cut into the hillside and it was projected to be done on September 2.
This section has already received an investment of 313 million pesos and it covers a distance of 146.4 kilometers. The works were started in 2007 by the state government and were then attributed to the federal government the following year.
2. San Felipe-Laguna Chapala
This project is formed by three sections. The first one goes from San Felipe to Puertecitos from kilometer 0 to the 75 and it is a 2 lane highway that might get upgraded depending on use. This section is considered as finished by SCT.
The second section goes from Puertecitos to San Luis Gonzaga passing through El Huerfanito and covers from kilometer 75 to kilometer 146. This section is considered as finished by SCT.
And lastly we have the third section that goes from San Luis Gonzaga to Laguna Chapala, kilometers 146 through 201. This section hasn’t been built yet. According to Efraín Arias Velásquez another SCT representative the investment required will be of 1,250 million pesos to cover a distance of 201 kilometers.
Federal government contemplates this project will take at least the following six years for completion and implies the construction of ten bridges from which 5 have been already done.
Currently the Mexicali – San Felipe highway has a daily average use of 705 cars which is an
Original source: La Crónica de Mexicali.
English version by SANFELIPE.COM.MX

TMW - 9-10-2013 at 11:41 AM

Six years to go 55KMs, that's less than 10KMs per year to go from Gonzaga to Chapala. I think they will spend too much time at Cocos.