BajaNomad - Dangerous Road Conditions HWY 1

Dangerous Road Conditions HWY 1

RFClark - 2-25-2024 at 12:08 AM

Hi All,

Just drove up from Cerritos Thursday. The road to Constitution is generally good with a few deep potholes. The road on the South side of the flood control channel past Home Depot in La Paz is closed. See Map below.

IMG_5005.jpeg - 191kB

The road from Constitution to Loreto is good also with a few potholes

North of Loreto in the area of the Military checkpoint the South bound lane is reduced to 1/2 of a lane for about 40’ Trucks will use the entire highway to pass this point be careful!

The road north of the Loreto checkpoint to Mulegé has some potholes as does the road to Santa Rosalia.

The road from Santa Rosalia is generally good as far as the 28th parallel.

The road from the 28rh to Punta Prieta has bad potholes. From Jose y Maria north the potholes are so bad in places as to require speeds of under 30 MPH. There is one repair crew fixing potholes North of Jose Y Maria expect about a 10 min delay

North of Punta Preita to the Chapella turn off at HWY 5 the road is good. HWY 5 is in good shape to Mexicali.

JDCanuck - 2-25-2024 at 01:35 AM

Thanks for that latest update. We are really liking the newest updates to the route through La Paz with the one way both directions on either side , new trees and walking /running paths being put in. A bit confusing heading North after you cross the bridge but much faster and safer than previously. From your marked path it looks like you missed the exit right to turn left across Forjadores just past the bridge.

[Edited on 2-25-2024 by JDCanuck]

windgrrl - 2-25-2024 at 06:48 AM

Just drove the same route back north with similar experience. New route through La Paz is a good update. Slower speeds through pot holes are definitely required, especially of towing. Asked to declare food items at border, even if originally purchased in USA.

Safe travels,
W

David K - 2-25-2024 at 11:52 AM

Thanks for the road conditions update. These are always gold on Nomad.
With the road along the river levee in La Paz closed, what is the detour, further north, through downtown?
Thank you!

JDCanuck - 2-25-2024 at 03:38 PM

I would turn left on Mujica, then work up to Forjadores on Colosio, then right on Forjadores and south. That small section was not closed when we went through recently. Must be further work on the new one way routes with lights rather than the old 2 ways both roads with 4-way stops.

RFClark - 2-25-2024 at 08:13 PM

David,

Sorry about using red/green. I forgot. We went across bridge to the 1st place North and made a “U” turn. There’s a road that’s open on the North levee and goes West to the highway to Constitution.

mtgoat666 - 2-25-2024 at 09:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark

Dangerous Road Conditions HWY 1.

Clarkie,
I wouldn't call it ”dangerous.” Drove down to loreto last month. I found hwy 1 to be normal, some sections a bit more pot holy than others, e.g. just north of GN, but nothing much different than some prior years. Relatively speaking, it was not more dangerous than usual.

Thank you for your service!

RFClark - 2-25-2024 at 09:58 PM

Goat,

I’ll post pictures of the bad sections when we go back end of the week. It’s worse than I’ve seen it in the last 8 years. The single deep potholes are actually as dangerous as they are bad enough to bend something or blow a tire if you hit one going 100KM/HR+!

Stay dry more heavy rain is on the way.

mtgoat666 - 2-26-2024 at 07:35 AM

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark

I’ll post pictures of the bad sections when we go back end of the week.

Thank you for your service!

David K - 2-26-2024 at 07:53 AM

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark

David,

Sorry about using red/green. I forgot. We went across bridge to the 1st place North and made a “U” turn. There’s a road that’s open on the North levee and goes West to the highway to Constitution.

Ahhh... I looked more intensely and I could make out the green arrow. If you didn't mention that you used green, I wouldn't noticed that. The red line on the levee was clear. As the others said, thank you for your service!

Lee - 2-26-2024 at 10:18 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark

Dangerous Road Conditions HWY 1.

Things change almost overnight.

You poo-poo'd comments I made couple years ago about potholes on 5 -- I hit a big one and thought I did major damage to a tire and wheel. I checked TPMS system all the way to GN.

If Clark says current potholes are dangerous, I believe him!

AKgringo - 2-26-2024 at 10:27 AM

Based on my observations over the years, potholes do not get eliminated, they just get re-located!

BoenBaja - 2-27-2024 at 09:04 AM

Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo

Based on my observations over the years, potholes do not get eliminated, they just get re-located!

And some are big enough to get their own zip codes!

pacificobob - 2-27-2024 at 04:44 PM

Driving a bit slower makes dodging them quite a bit easier. In a hurry? Why?

mtgoat666 - 2-27-2024 at 06:03 PM

Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob

Driving a bit slower makes dodging them quite a bit easier. In a hurry? Why?

i have never seen the 5 or 1 without some potholes, missing shoulder, fallen rocks in the road, or animal in lane or on shoulder.
always prudent to never drive so fast that you can't see/avoid any unexpected road hazard.
and when it is dark the road hazards tend to be invisible, especially invisible are potholes and missing pavement that lurk under cover of darkness.

wilderone - 2-28-2024 at 09:24 AM

"dangerous" pothole situation .... when a driver is being prudent to carefully avoid or maneuver through potholes, and needs to slow down - with an 18-wheeler behind you, or even passing you at that moment and you're forced to slam on your brakes cuz you can't go around that huge, deep pothole - yes, driving is dangerous. Was driving that terrible stretch north of GN, with a tailgater - why he wouldn't pass me I dunno - but had to slam on my brakes to avoid a 5 ft x 1 ft x 8" deep "pothole" and he had to swerve off the pavement into a ditch to avoid slamming into me. Yes - can be DANGEROUS. When a driver does, unfortunately, experience a flat due to a pothole, and compelled to drive 5 mph on Hwy 1 until an available turnoff, and gringos are coming up behind you in their trucks 65 mph, yes, can be dangerous.

Lee - 2-28-2024 at 10:31 AM

When a semi comes up behind me, I slow and use my left turn signal, and move towards the shoulder. I'll keep slowing until they pass. Same with cars/trucks.

On some roads, with semi's heading towards me, I slow down.

Since potholes can be anywhere, and almost overnight, it's not possible to avoid hitting all potholes.

I've only hit one pothole that gave me concern and that was on 5. In a short time, that hole and others in the area, were fixed.

Fixed doesn't mean anything since they come back, or mysteriously reappear somewhere else down the road.

A prudent driver shouldn't have to slam on the brakes.

Funny story: the road going South of Jesus Maria was repaved and not painted yet. I hit a tope just past the gas station in my RV and got air. Topes are another nuisance.

Potholes? I laugh at them!

RFClark - 2-29-2024 at 05:13 PM

[Edited on 3-1-2024 by RFClark]

Pictures of potholes North of Jose Y Maria looking North

RFClark - 3-8-2024 at 01:54 PM

We returned last Wednesday. North bound.
The worst potholes are in the 50KM streach North of J Y M.
IMG_3531.jpeg - 147kB

Skipjack Joe - 3-9-2024 at 08:06 AM

Those potholes in the picture are indeed bad. The worst potholes I've encountered recently are on highway 3 between Ensenada and San Felipe. Those hole go through all layers of pavement to the earth below. In fact I'm sure everyone has experienced something like this. As you're driving along you need to make quick decisions on which ones you can handle at your speed and which ones to avoid. You can't avoid all. If you're seeing light warm colored sand in the pothole your mental warning system should engage to completely avoid them. They're usually deeper and have a nasty edge to them.

Lee - 3-9-2024 at 08:56 AM

I'll add that the slower you go the better your chances of seeing a hole you want to avoid. The road past J&M has been bad a long time. Make sure your spare is good.

Don Jorge - 3-9-2024 at 05:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Skipjack Joe

The worst potholes I've encountered recently are on highway 3 between Ensenada and San Felipe. Those hole go through all layers of pavement to the earth below. In fact I'm sure everyone has experienced something like this. As you're driving along you need to make quick decisions on which ones you can handle at your speed and which ones to avoid. You can't avoid all. If you're seeing light warm colored sand in the pothole your mental warning system should engage to completely avoid them. They're usually deeper and have a nasty edge to them.

True that. I drove that yesterday towing a 26ft boat on a tandem trailer. It is really bad. I have driven that road four times in the last month and each time it has gotten worse. Yesterday I followed a Pemex tanker truck for many miles letting him choose the route through the baches and run interference to oncoming traffic. Many times I slowed down to 5mph.

At the San Ignacio military checkpoint immigration was there and checking visas. That is the second time I have been asked for my visa in the last month. Further up the road at the Tomatal military checkpoint immigration was there also.

But they had their hands full as a tour bus was there and its passengers were queued up getting their docs checked. Not one of the passengers was a Mexican or American citizen. People from all over the world, Asians, Haitians, Valenzuela etc. Speaking with the Lieutenant he said all of these folks are going to live with you guys. First time I have seen this in Baja outside of Tijuana.

I believe the presence of these migrants buses has forced immigration to man a few spots. Bored they see a gringo and ask for visas. I speculate it is mostly in the hopes of folks not having one and paying on the spot to be "legal". Cynic? Yup.

windgrrl - 3-9-2024 at 08:34 PM

On passing north through the San Ignacio check point, mid-February, there was a large bus full of men getting checked. The demographic of people looking to immigrant has changed.

Further north, there was a very big gathering of people in a field being processed by USBP near Campo. There is a famous “hole in the wall” near Jacumba, CA.

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/02/world/migrant-crossi...

Apparently there is cooperation between international crime organizations to move folks across the border. Some Googling turns up some very intesting reading about the current state of crossing in this area which is very close to the border.

JDCanuck - 3-10-2024 at 07:55 PM

Just drove up to Canada from La Paz and found some huge partially filled(some very deep) potholes. Pretty much all the way from Guerrero Negro up to where hwy 5 left from Hwy1. After that it was really quite good on 5 right up to Mexicali, far better than when we drove down a couple years ago.
Also stopped at the checkpoint by San Ignacio and questioned at length with requests for passports and info, but when he saw our Temp Immigration cards he waved us off and said next time just show those to save ourselves a lot of hassle.