Bittersweet Baja Road Construction
This road report is just concerning a few areas in Baja Sur where there are several major road construction projects going on. Some road construction is on the main highways or roads but others are new highways, roads and bypasses that are being created at an alarming rate. These Baja Sur highway and road projects are going to be “Bitter Sweet” developments when completed for their respective areas as you may see and agree.
There is one of the largest projects going on behind the cities of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas in Baja Sur where they are busy creating a bypass road inland of the corridor (coastal highway) . The sweetness of this new highway will be relieving a lot of the pressure in the corridor and allow people to go around most of Cabo, relieving the congestion in Cabo San Lucas downtown. The bitter side of these kinds of bypasses is less people may stop in Cabo on their way through and then the reality that there is a growing population and therefore a need for more developments like these for future growth.
I have driven parts of the Cabo corridor bypass and have found major bridge construction along with a multitude of earth movers and large tractors which at this time seem to be out in nowhere. There are many arroyos that require bridges or culverts just to go several miles. There is one arroyo that a worker told me they were planning to span and if what he showed is true it will be one of the largest bridges I’ve seen anywhere in Baja. In any case this road will not completed for years according to the workers. I’ve not seen what the government’s planned completion date is but I would be very surprised if it took less than a couple of more years to complete. This new Cabo Corridor bypass will eventually connect to the toll road from the San Jose del Cabo airport and connect to highway 19 north of Cabo proper near the propane gas fill station. This has changed property values a great deal in areas that will border this new highway in areas that are very rural at this time.
Another Baja Sur bypass that is being built simultaneously is not as long but as aggressive and that is one that will bypass Todos Santos from just north of the Campo Experiemental (Punta Lobos area) north of Pescadero and come out just north of Todos re connecting to the newly finished Todos to La Paz 4 laner. While this will definitely make it faster by not going through the actual Pueblo Magico of Todos Santos when going to La Paz it is already changing property values and business by where the new road is being built.
Todos Santos is a Pueblo Majico with plenty of character, color, art, foods and activities that many will still go there as a destination so it may not be so bitter except for those few that would have stopped in town on their way through. The sweet of course the town itself will not be so congested with the traffic of those on their way through who also benefit from a faster route.
One of the more amazing roads I recently saw last week was a real surprise to me. North of La Paz from km 33-50 there are several towns on the pacific side. None of these towns are of any major size like La Ventana and the El Sargento area just 10 years back. I was surprised to find they have paved approximately 5 kilometeros of the 26 km to the town of Ley Reforma Agria #1 and plan to take it onto Conquista Agria near Punta Marquez. I bought land out there many years and have to attend some of the Ejido meetings and had no idea they had begun, once again very aggressively to pave this road.
Much of surprise came from 2 things why this road and not the one at 50km going straight into Punta Marquez where one of the largest pacific side panga fishing fleets operate? Secondly why not at 33km where I believe they are still operating some aqua culture businesses and possibly even farming.
The sweet side of this for me and other is of course it will be much faster and easier getting to my property and of course the sour side is…here comes more development and people! I say that with a little tounge n cheek as it will take longer than my life time to probably even grow any of the towns out there to the size of Todos Santos or possibly the smaller Pescadero. I believe since the tracts of land in the Ley Reforma Agria #1 (yes there is a #2) area that mostly ranches and farms will begin with possibly some independent villas built for those that really want to get away. The beaches like a lot of the pacific side are empty and while you do see farmers and campesinos there really is just not that much out there except for great fishing, surfing, kiteboarding, beachcombing, horseback riding and diving but heck that’s all over Baja!
These new highway developments overall can be a sweet thing when considering the easing of traffic, and the shortening of driving routes; however the bitter side of these developments has been said to me; Ironically by so many local residents that I run into are at a WalMart or Home Depot and they complain about the changes and “too much development” when speaking of The Baja Sur (Los Cabos) Loop area.
Yes some say development is a good thing when they can enjoy greater conveniences however there is that price of more people to justify the creation of these stores, accommodations and infrastructure for the increasing population. Well the nice thing to remember is that there is plenty of Baja that is and will remain untouched for a long time to come. Therefore to explore Baja even further for the more adventurous types will still bring them to great paradises in the rural desert, mountain and beach areas of Baja California.
On a side note: It has been asked by many readers that we provide more road reposrts in areas around san Felipe, Puertocitos and even Rocky Point area. We will gladly report on all roads of Baja however as we cannot possible drive all roads please feel free to submit us any road reports in areas that you may live and travel so that we share it with our other readers that really do use our road reports to plan their travels. Please email us at roadreport@bajainsider.com
Thank you and safe travels…buen viaje!