BajaNomad

Ensenada TJ Scenic (toll) Road

bajaguy - 10-2-2013 at 08:45 PM

From ensenada.net
Article posted October 2, 2013

Cracks more than ten centimeters high and 27 wide appeared recently in the Ensenada-Tijuana highway at km 95 between San Miguel and Salsipuedes.

The stretch by crossing several flaws that currently offer vertical and horizontal movements caused further damage to the asphalt, so Garcilaso noted Luis Humberto Mendoza and Sergio Vazquez, geologists Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education (CICESE).

On a tour with the research team found four new sites critical of the seven already identified since 2006.

Both researchers of the institution, agreed that there are major moves this year, and warned that the slide could be higher to get the rainy season.

The risk exists for drivers passing through the unstable fault zone, from San Miguel (the Esenada toll booth) to Salsipuedes, since the land mass could precipitate and cause a tragedy.

"We toured the four most critical points have higher travel speed, and all that is moving progressively observe the movement of land mass," said Mendoza.

Repair to the asphalt is an engineering solution to short-term traffic flow, but the works must be accompanied by a motion study to determine the fault type, depth and area involved.

The last time a study was conducted to Federal Roads and Bridges (Capufe) in the area was in 2006 when they met seven sites complicated, however there is evidence that the earth is still moving towards the sea.

For specialists is important for scenic road users moving cautiously in the fault zone because anytime you can register a landslide that prevent transit.

DENNIS - 10-2-2013 at 09:05 PM

I could never understand why they didn't run that stretch of road up over the hill anyway. It's been a constant expense and danger from day one.

MMc - 10-2-2013 at 09:16 PM

Dennis, they did run the the road where the ground was good. It called the free road:lol::lol::lol:the original road was designed the the us army corr. of engineers. They avoided the coast for a reason.

[Edited on 10-3-2013 by MMc]

Road in motion

Whale-ista - 10-2-2013 at 09:48 PM

I lived in SanMiguel in 90s, drove that stretch of hwy too many times to count. They Rebuilt that stretch of road in the mid 90s and will have to continue doing it.

I was married to a marine geologist at the time. He still works at CICESE. His assessment of that road is it will constantly be slipping into the sea.

The same is true of the hills east of the toll booth plaza. Ditto Chapultepec over Ensenada Harbor.

Those areas are one huge rockslide waiting to happen.

J.P. - 10-3-2013 at 08:54 AM

We were traveling toward Ensenada a few weeks ago when a car ahead of us hit the big crack ,the rear wheel came at least 2ft off the pavement we were doing about 70mph when we hit it.
What a ride. my wife wasn't too impressed as she tried to get up from the floor board.
We passed through the same area yesterday and it's very obvious there is a lot of movement in that area. Where the most recent patches are they repainted the center line and the line on the side of the road you can tell the movement is constant. the lines really squiggle, looks like a drunk painter painted them.

DENNIS - 10-3-2013 at 09:01 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Whale-ista

The same is true of the hills east of the toll booth plaza.



Then, you remember the front row of houses on the west side, top of the hill, that slid down the hill. It started with their patios and eventually took some of the structures.

Erosion

Whale-ista - 10-3-2013 at 06:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by Whale-ista

The same is true of the hills east of the toll booth plaza.



Then, you remember the front row of houses on the west side, top of the hill, that slid down the hill. It started with their patios and eventually took some of the structures.


I remember talking with residents about the slides, but they pre dated me by a short time. It definitely discouraged additional building and sales of lots in that area.

There were a few major El Niņo years during that time that also contributed to the road and hillside erosion. The San Miguel beach at the river mouth would be wiped clean by hi storm surf one week, then covered with sand the next as the river raged down the valley carrying debris with it.

All part of the natural cycle, but we rarely see it on display as vividly in the US as we do in Baja.

[Edited on 10-4-2013 by Whale-ista]

liknbaja127 - 10-3-2013 at 06:42 PM

really wakes you up as you go through that area, I am always towing,
trailer with pre runner. We have to stop and retie down car after toll.

woody with a view - 10-3-2013 at 07:22 PM

yeah, my wife hates those bumps! i enjoy them, it actually makes me happy paying the last toll knowing most of it goes to fix those bumps.

DENNIS - 10-3-2013 at 07:46 PM

if you know the ride is there, you just have to hang on tight to your open Pacifico. Ain't no big thing for a seasoned Baja traveler.