BajaNomad - Old Puertocitos road getting flatter.

Old Puertocitos road getting flatter.

Bajazly - 5-13-2018 at 07:29 PM

Driving down and back this past week, there are two stretches of construction near
the south part of the old road right before you hit the newer road south. They have about two dozen or more vados dug up putting pipes in along with a couple new major puentes. Neither section is more than a couple miles and the temp road is pretty good. Sorry if this has been posted before but it was a surprise to me when we come up on it, hadn't seen anything about it here.

freediverbrian - 5-13-2018 at 07:53 PM

Good to hear it's been a bad section of road for twenty years or more years, it has been patched many times with little long term solution.

David K - 5-13-2018 at 08:15 PM

Sounds like the new inland route we have heard about, to replace the 1983 route that was put along the coast? The inland route was made in the 1950s from the sulfur mine south...

freediverbrian - 6-3-2018 at 12:52 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Sounds like the new inland route we have heard about, to replace the 1983 route that was put along the coast? The inland route was made in the 1950s from the sulfur mine south...

I think you are right, the section of road they are working on is the same type of construction method as the road south to Gonzaga. A 10 km side road , making small bridges and culverts . Set up a cement plant . The construction starts one km north of cowpattys and heads north.
Maybe they are building the road south to north?? The road north of the work zone is terrible the worst I have seen in 10 or more years more pot holes than road.

PaulW - 6-3-2018 at 07:57 PM

This section of new construction on Hwy 5 is between Cow Paddy on the south and Matomi on the north or maybe further north by now. That new construction began in late April.
There is no construction on OPR (old Puerticitis Road) which is further inland and is still a terrible road to drive.

David K - 6-3-2018 at 08:29 PM

Thanks for clearing that up, Paul.
OPR meets Hwy. 5 a few miles north of Matomi.

freediverbrian - 6-3-2018 at 08:52 PM

Don't know "opr" road, or matomi wash. new construction is parallel to existing road. KISS!!

[Edited on 6-4-2018 by freediverbrian]

PaulW - 6-4-2018 at 08:11 AM

It is an interesting that the new road construction has begun from the south.
The start of the new construction is just north of Cowpatty at about KM 73 just north of the turn to Puerticitos at KM 74.6. A landmark on Hwy 5 is Matomi Wash at KM 60. The junction of the "Old Puericotos Road" (OPR) with Hwy 5 is at KM 52.5.
It will be a significant event when the new construction reaches KM 52.5 because many of us have long speculated that a realignment of Highway 5 would follow the track of OPR?
David's thread documents the progress of the transition from OPR to Highway 5. at http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=89302#pid1109...
Fixed name Cpwpatty and location KM73
It was documented on the 2007 AAA map that highway 5 was paved the first time, and patched many more time in following years.
Thank you David for for your maps.

[Edited on 6-4-2018 by PaulW]

David K - 6-4-2018 at 08:26 AM

Thank you Paul. A map is like a window back in time!

The 1996 AAA map was the first I posted showing the pavement complete to Puertecitos. The new roadbed is first shown on my collection on the 1987 map. It was built in 1982-83.

In 1987, the paving was advancing south, just past Punta Estrella Beach area (now the Valle de los Gigantes turnoff).

TW reported the pavement was to Puertecitos in 1990, as I recall.

Once the new road passed Coloradito, it took a turn inland and intersected the old road, 4.6 miles north of Matomí arroyo. The new and old roads were the same alignment on to Puertecitos from that intersection.

PaulW - 6-4-2018 at 01:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW

It is an interesting that the new road construction has begun from the south.
The start of the new construction is just north of Cowpatty at about KM 73 just north of the turn to Puerticitos at KM 74.6. A landmark on Hwy 5 is Matomi Wash at KM 60. The junction of the "Old Puericotos Road" (OPR) with Hwy 5 is at KM 52.5.
It will be a significant event when the new construction reaches KM 52.5 because many of us have long speculated that a realignment of Highway 5 would follow the track of OPR?
David's thread documents the progress of the transition from OPR to Highway 5. at http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=89302#pid1109...

It was documented on the 2007 AAA map that highway 5 was paved the first time, and patched many more time in following years. (David said Tom reported pavement was completer in 1990).
Thank you David for for your maps.

[Edited on 6-4-2018 by PaulW]

Fixed name Cowpatty and location at KM73

PaulW - 6-4-2018 at 01:10 PM

Good maps. I did not about know the El Coloradito dog leg to OPR although it is clearly shown on my map. Anyway, my KMs are correct as the final junction old to new is at KM 52.5. Whereas El Coloradito would have been close to KM 42.3, but I do not know exactly which road leads to it. I must have missed the sign?
This means the distance from that dogleg on OPR to Matomi would be about 17.7KM/11mi not the 7.4km/4.6mi you mentioned.
You said, “Once the new road passed Coloradito, it took a turn inland and intersected the old road, 4.6 miles north of Matomí arroyo.”
Could you look close at the map and see if you can find a 10+ KM error. Your 4.6mi/7.4km should be about 17km/11mi per my map. I cannot read the numbers on the small image you posted.
Fun converting back and forth. All my stuff is in KM and all yours is in miles. – No problem.
BTW. My error - Cowpatty is the correct name and it is at KM 73.

David K - 6-4-2018 at 05:27 PM

Hi Paul,
Doing my most recent recordings of km markers, I was only seeking campgrounds and facilities for travelers so the places like Coloradito and Costa Verde I didn't note. However, on a 2011 trip I did mark down some things we are discussing...
Km. 32 Nuevo Mazatlán
Km. 35.5 Colonia Delicias
Km. 49 El Coloradito
Km. 54 Campo Cristina
Km. 58.5 Los Olivos
Km. 60 Arroyo Matomí
Km. 60+ San Rafael
Km. 74.5 Puertecitos Road

The distance from Coloradito to Matomí is 11 kms. (6.8 miles).
The Old Road junctions between these two, you can see it on Google Earth and the AAA map and Almanac. The new development Rancho Costa Verde entrance is right by the Old Road junction, just past it.

I did a Google Earth path measurement and here are the results:
OPR to Matomi Wash Road (Km. 60) is 4.6 miles and OPR to Coloradito Road is 2.2 miles...

The AAA map also has Old Puertecitos road and they also show it as 2.2 miles from the Coloradito road and 1.2 miles (2 kms.) from the Campo Cristina road...

All this puts the OPR around Km. 52/53, as you have it. Your km. for Coloradito is the only error I think?

There was once a sign for Ejido Matomí, just a sign. The auto club placed it with a black box on their map as if it was a building or rancho... it never was.

[Edited on 6-5-2018 by David K]

GPS images

PaulW - 6-5-2018 at 07:44 AM

Thanks, All is confirmed. My Gps does not show San Rafael I suppose it is the small rancho at the water well. West side just a short distance from the Matomi turn.
BTW, here are the images I have been using from my desktop Lowrance GPS. The map is from Murdock and includes dots along the highway that are actual waypoints made as he drove along the highway. Of course, they are 1 KM apart to allow you to count to locate each road turn off.

North.JPG - 94kB

David K - 6-5-2018 at 08:46 AM

San Rafael (by the old, deep well) is now called El Pozo, 1/2 km. south of the primary road in Arroyo Matomí. There was a sign advertising sodas for sale.

For fun, here is a map I made in 1978 when I compared driving the beach route and on the beach to driving the road, between San Felipe and Puertecitos. I took mileage readings along both routes. The most difficult part was the gravel beach around Punta San Fermin... like driving on ball bearings. This was in my 4WD Subaru with 13" tires!

Beach Route Log:
0.0 Hwy. 5 in San Felipe
6.3 Leave airport road, off pavement
11.8 Onto beach, Las Arenas (today Villa Marina)
19.6 Off beach, 1 mile south of Percebu (onto salt flat)
24.8 Onto beach near Bahia Santa Maria (Playa Hermosa)
51.6 Off beach at Curbina Beach (near Cow Patty, today)
53.3 Puertecitos (Restaurant, gasoline)

[Edited on 6-5-2018 by David K]