Today, Friday, March 28th, Samaritan Day, marks 17 days since the massive landslide that blocked both directions of the Oaxaca-Cuacnopalan highway. With just over two weeks until Easter, traffic on this road is expected to be restored.
The highway is the main access route to the city of Puebla, central Veracruz, Tlaxcala, and the capital. Traffic has picked up due to the opening of the Barranca Larga-Ventanilla highway, which leads to Huatulco and Puerto Escondido in fewer hours.
A damaged alternate road next to the landslide remains open today, Friday, while bulldozers and trucks work in the area to remove the tons of debris that still block both directions of the highway.
According to transporters, removing waste in transit is tortuous and, at night, very dangerous, given the need to reduce speeds, long lines form, and the narrowness of the temporarily open lanes.
The landslide and work to remove it continue at kilometer 206 of Highway 135D, very close to the Huitzo toll plaza.
The road is open, but during peak traffic hours, long lines form, especially due to the slow speed of heavy vehicles.
Capufe even recommends taking the alternate route via Federal Highway 190 to rejoin the highway in Asunción Nochixtla, although motorists have also reported poor conditions in some sections.
The road was closed for four days, and traffic was diverted via the federal highway. On the day of the collapse, it was projected that traffic would be back to normal within five days; that estimate has tripled.
Source: imparcialoaxaca
