The Gull
Super Nomad
Posts: 2223
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rancho Descanso, BCN
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Old (free) road from TJ to Playas de Rosarito and beyond
The new construction that has screwed up the old road from about Aqua Caliente to the Libramiento Oriente (westside free road), has now extended into
the area of Cuesta Blanca, so the toll road is the only real way to get south without a super headache.
Then, just before the second toll booth (AM/PM gas station) it is best to use the libre road as the toll road near Puerto Nuevo is all torn up. You
can get back on the toll road without paying the second toll at Primo Tapia (Cantamar). the Pemex gas station right there has the lowest prices on
fuel near the border.
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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Thanks, Gull. Good to know since I'll be coming through on Wednesday.
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
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Mood: Want to fish!!!
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The two way section of the toll road between Rosarito/Cantamar is ugly. Missing cones, missing plastic k-rails. Be carefull north or southbound.
People driving WAY to fast, even in the sections where the divider cones-k-rails are gone.
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k-rico
Super Nomad
Posts: 2079
Registered: 7-10-2008
Location: Playas de Tijuana
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajabass
The two way section of the toll road between Rosarito/Cantamar is ugly. Missing cones, missing plastic k-rails. Be carefull north or southbound.
People driving WAY to fast, even in the sections where the divider cones-k-rails are gone. |
I drove that at night a couple of weeks ago. Very scary.
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
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Mood: Want to fish!!!
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Yeah, coming north last night I was saying my prayers, and I'm not all that religous! The newly asphalted sections have to be the best roads in Baja
though!
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Brings up A Pemex Question
| Quote: | Originally posted by The Gull
The new construction that has screwed up the old road from about Aqua Caliente to the Libramiento Oriente (westside free road), has now extended into
the area of Cuesta Blanca, so the toll road is the only real way to get south without a super headache.
Then, just before the second toll booth (AM/PM gas station) it is best to use the libre road as the toll road near Puerto Nuevo is all torn up. You
can get back on the toll road without paying the second toll at Primo Tapia (Cantamar). the Pemex gas station right there has the lowest prices on
fuel near the border. |
By and large, as a state owned monopoly, Pemex fixes the price of its products. All I have ever been able to glean is that "Pemex allows some
flexibility for prices at stations in the border region so as to be competitive with US prices." Anyone know how far that flexibility extends? I
remember not too long ago when there was that spike in gas prices and it was costing like $300 a gallon in the states I found out the hard way at the Pemex station just before turning up to the Otay
gate that they had two sets of prices. The much higher price charged to vehicles with us plates.
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The Gull
Super Nomad
Posts: 2223
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rancho Descanso, BCN
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Mood: High
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All I know on the subject of gas prices is that at Primo Tapia, the gas is lower than on Playas de Rosarito.
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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Gypsy Jan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4275
Registered: 1-27-2004
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Mood: Depends on which way the wind is blowing
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Yesterday, Monday 11/30
We left Rosarito, heading south on the Cuota (Toll Road). It was 5:30 pm and after sunset, so very dark. After the toll booth, there was a Caminos y
Puentes (Mexico Cal Trans) pickup truck waiting, with the rooftop, yellow Christmas-light-bar lit up and flashing. He stopped all southbound traffic
until he accumulated about thirty vehicles, then led us all south at a speed of about 35-40miles per hour, guiding our impromptu caravan through the
torn-up and badly lit construction sites that jigsaws around unprotected dropoffs, unmarked lanes that are poorly protected from the oncoming traffic
sharing one of the only two lanes. After we were safely past the construction zone and back on the divided highway, he pulled off, turned around and
headed back north.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Want to fish!!!
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I sure would have enjoyed a similar escort coming north Sunday night. At least you can SEE the danger during daylight hours. Good for them!
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The Gull
Super Nomad
Posts: 2223
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rancho Descanso, BCN
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Mood: High
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
We left Rosarito, heading south on the Cuota (Toll Road). It was 5:30 pm and after sunset, so very dark. After the toll booth, there was a Caminos y
Puentes (Mexico Cal Trans) pickup truck waiting, with the rooftop, yellow Christmas-light-bar lit up and flashing. He stopped all southbound traffic
until he accumulated about thirty vehicles, then led us all south at a speed of about 35-40miles per hour, guiding our impromptu caravan through the
torn-up and badly lit construction sites that jigsaws around unprotected dropoffs, unmarked lanes that are poorly protected from the oncoming traffic
sharing one of the only two lanes. After we were safely past the construction zone and back on the divided highway, he pulled off, turned around and
headed back north. |
...and somehow paying over $2.00 for that crappy trip was worth more than taking the free road to Primo Tapia and avoid all of it?
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
Member Is Offline
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Gull - what weapons / ammo do you recommend one carry for this stretch?
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The Gull
Super Nomad
Posts: 2223
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rancho Descanso, BCN
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Mood: High
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A tire iron and a can of flat fixer should do.
But you can't miss with an RPG.
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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The other dangerous item on the toll road, concrete dividers used as "lane" boundaries.. don't connect with one of those going any speed... on the old
road, free road, there are some really bad "pot holes" that have shown up after this little bit of rain.. and the "pot holes" are really quite bad..
so go slow, you can miss most if you don't get behind someone that blocks your road view..
It's still torn up just South Puerto Nuevo to and through some of Primo Tapia (they may have some long delays as they are working on the overpass for
the people that have to cross the "free and toll road in Tapia".. but, it's not all that bad.. slow down and enjoy the drive.. stop and get Cantonese
style Chinese food, at Lee Sin's, or water and/or ice at AcoQua Squisita and say Hi to Josphine ... it is a vacation, I hope, so enjoy your self and
slow down.. folks are driving really fast on "both" roads..
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