The federal government has defined 10 priority road infrastructure axes totaling 2,220 kilometers across 14 states, which will concentrate an investment of 112.173 billion pesos during the current six-year term.
Guerrero is the state that will receive the most resources: almost a third of the total budget, a figure that places it at the center of the highway strategy due to the magnitude of the works and the resources allocated to reconstruction after the hurricanes recorded in the last two years.
A network with greater weight in the south of the country
The National Infrastructure Program (PNI) establishes that highways are the backbone of Mexico’s land transportation system: 58% of the national freight moves on them, and of its 179,536 paved kilometers, 19,240 correspond to strategic corridors.
The six-year term’s focus is on strengthening this network through 10 axes that will modernize existing routes and open new sections, especially in the south-central region of the country.
Carlos Arceo Castañeda, Director General of Highways at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT), explained in a conversation with the College of Civil Engineers of Mexico that the objective is not merely technical.
“Good infrastructure reduces travel times and increases safety, which facilitates access to medical and educational services, and a greater variety of goods at fair prices,” he noted.
Guerrero: The Greatest Concentration of Projects
Guerrero’s presence in the plan is due to the combination of large-scale projects and reconstruction works. The state accounts for 29.69% of priority highway spending.
The projects include two long-term corridors. The first is the 482-kilometer Toluca-Zihuatanejo axis, which will connect the State of Mexico with the Costa Grande of Guerrero and will be completed in 2029.
The Ministry of National Defense is participating in its construction, and one of the main challenges is the conservation of protected natural areas along the route, which requires coordination with Semarnat (National Secretariat of National Defense).
The second project is the 453-kilometer Salina Cruz-Zihuatanejo axis, which will connect Oaxaca and Guerrero. Bridge expansions and rectification of unfinished sections on the Costa Chica and Costa Grande are currently underway. It is expected to be completed in 2029.
A third front is the 385-kilometer Cuautla-Tlapa-Marquelia axis, which crosses the states of Morelos, Puebla, and Guerrero.
The project includes modernizing sections of the mountainous region, where currently only narrow roads with sharp curves require speeds of 20 kilometers per hour.
The goal is to leave them capable of reaching speeds of between 40 and 60 kilometers per hour, which will reduce travel times and allow communities to access basic services more quickly.
The National Infrastructure Program also includes seven projects in other regions:
-Tamazunchale-Huejutla-Pachuca, 96 kilometers long, which will connect Hidalgo and San Luis Potosí in 2027, with sections that will increase from seven to 12 meters wide.
-Bavispe-Nuevo Casas Grandes, 67 kilometers long, which will connect Sonora and Chihuahua and is scheduled for completion this year. It includes seven bridges due to the complex terrain.
- Macuspana-Escárcega, 131 kilometers long, which will cross Tabasco, Campeche, and Chiapas, with expansion from two to four lanes. It is expected to be completed in 2028.
- Ciudad Valles-Tampico, which will continue the Tamazunchale-Huejutla-Pachuca highway to connect Hidalgo and San Luis Potosí with Tamaulipas.
- Saltillo-Monclova, in Coahuila, which will strengthen industrial communications in the north.
- Guaymas-Esperanza-Yécora-Chihuahua, which will connect Sonora with Chihuahua and whose construction will have the support of the Ministry of the Navy.
- Circuito Tierra y Libertad, in Morelos, which includes the construction of a bypass and a bridge in Jojutla.
Together, these corridors seek to connect rural and urban areas and reduce territorial gaps in access to services.
Source: obras.expansion
