Whale-ista - 3-22-2019 at 09:06 PM
Considering driving from San Diego to Gr. Negro this weekend.
In general: Is traffic lighter on Sunday vs. Saturday?
I'm hoping people are in church and/or there are fewer commercial trucks operating on Sundays.
Or would it be better to avoid Hwy 1, head east to San Felipe, then south, and cut across to Chapala?
How is that road? Is it still under construction?
Thanks for your thoughts/recent experience.
BajaBlanca - 3-22-2019 at 10:14 PM
We did highway 1 in Jan and it was in great shape except a small part near Cataviña. But, that was months ago.
Please check your u2u. Need something brought down and GN works great!
Give those whales some kisses.
basautter - 3-23-2019 at 05:53 AM
There is a good update on the San Felipe to Chapala route on highway 5. It's passable, but slow going with lot's of bypasses due to recent storm
damage to the road.
Bob and Susan - 3-23-2019 at 06:22 AM
I would think "breakdown"
no one works on sunday
some till noon on Saturday
its always better to travel during the week
then you can get stuff done if you "break"
wilderone - 3-23-2019 at 06:59 AM
IMO, it's pretty slow going through towns anyway - stop and go with traffic lights. But when I traveled Mex. 1 last year I was very surprised at how
light the traffic was going south - almost eerie. Not as many large trucks. In the pothole areas, I slow way down, but the large trucks don't need
to, so they try to pass, which is unnerving. All in all, traffic not a big concern. Have fun! WIWT
David K - 3-23-2019 at 07:15 AM
Which way to go?
It's up to you based on what you want to experience:
Hwy. 1:
*Crossing through Ensenada is an ordeal.
*Big pot holes from Ensenada through Maneadero.
*Road widening construction on the big grade south of Santo Tomás with possible 30 min. delay as it is one-way controlled.
*Winding mountain roads south of Ensenada and south of El Rosario.
*So many farm towns and their traffic from Colonet past San Quintín.
Hwy. 5:
*Crossing Mexicali, not as bad as Ensenada, but still a city, They say the new route from the new border avoids city traffic better.
>>Nice long straight sections of highway to San Felipe.
*San Felipe has several 4-way stop signs crossing through town.
*The old Hwy. 5 (Km. 0) is narrow and has some rough sections.
*Km. 61 to Km. 73 is a dirt detour as they are widening the highway and installing bridges to replace the steep dips that were on Hwy. 5 along here.
*Km. 100-130 several bridges were damaged on Oct. 1, 2018 by flash flooding so several dirt detours.
*Km. 168 the pavement ends just past and begin about 20 unpaved miles on new roadbed or detour on older road. New paving at the Chapala Valley, may or
may not be drivable. Last mile to Hwy. 1 is unpaved (signed as Km. 200 at end of Hwy. 5).
Photos in my TRIP #8 report from last August.