Guadalajara-Puerto Vallarta new toll road an endless nightmare

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The new highway that will connect Guadalajara with Puerto Vallarta is 7 years late. The short way is a project that will bring together two of the most important cities in the west of the country.

The road work began in the administration of former President Felipe Calderón, in 2012, and should have finished in 2014. Today, 7 years late, the administration of Enrique Alfaro has regretted that the Ministry of Communications and Transportation has not completed the road that would shorten the distance between the two points, so the governor of the state of Jalisco, expressed last April his annoyance at the constant delays.

“It is a shame that the Ministry of Communications and Transportation cannot resolve this issue … It is incredible that after so many years such an important work for a fundamental tourist destination for the economy of Jalisco and, I would say for the economy of the country, is not finished ”, he concluded.

But, what is it that does not allow to conclude the work?

In 2019, the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, during his visit to the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, gave an ultimatum to the company in charge of developing the work, Grupo IDEAL, (a subsidiary of Grupo Carso).

The president ruled that the company had spent years with the concession to build the highway and to date, there had been no progress, so he declared his annoyance.

“I am going to talk with them. It’s over, or they work and finish or the concession is taken away. So clear. Let those who really want to do things to benefit the development of Mexico do the works, he said.

In August 2020, AMLO, visited the state of Nayarit. In his visit, he committed himself again to conclude with the work of the short road, Guadalajara – Vallarta.

For his part, Enrique Alfaro commented in April of this year that during his tenure he had already requested the completion of the Vía Corta, however, he stressed that communication with the new administration of the national leadership had not taken effect.

The work presents anomalies. It was divided into 3 sections for its construction. 

  • Jala -Compostela : This section has been completed and operating since November 6, 20174
  • Compostela – Las Varas : In the construction process, the works have stopped and were resumed, it is 65% complete, which is equivalent to 19.1 kilometers and it is intended to be completed by 2023.
  • Las Varas Puerto Vallarta : It has an advance of 27.8 kilometers. Slopes 62.4%. 

The unfinished work presents legal problems, on the one hand, INAH has been maintained with certain restrictions. Many of the delays are due to obtaining environmental permits and the release of the right-of-way.

So far the investment amounts to 8 thousand 7.3 million pesos. It is expected to pay 9,215.9 million more, so the final cost amounts to 17 thousand 916.2 million pesos. 

38 companies have participated in the construction of the short road, including: Constructora Edificadora GIA A, Camsa Infraestructura and Mota – Engil México.

The three highway sections will allow travel from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta in 2:45 hours. The work covers a length of 186.6 kilometers. 

Source: tribunadelabahia.com.mx

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