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Tourism businesses in Cancun are worried about potential disruptions to tourists’ travel plans as new massive infrastructure projects take off in the area. As a result, they have asked the government to plan alternative routes to ensure smooth sailing for visitors this summer in Cancun.
Cancun has seen several new infrastructure projects announced in the past few weeks, including a mega-bridge that will connect the city’s hotel zone with the center. When complete, they will massively transform roads and railways in the area. Some of the main projects in the making include the renovation of the highway leading to Cancun International Airport, which aims to reduce travel time to and from the busy airport.
The projects, which will modernize road infrastructure around the area, are expected to take several months up to over a year to complete. Due to their magnitude, they represent an obstacle to tourists this summer, according to Cancun tourism organizations.
One of the largest new projects in the upcoming months is the massive Nichupté vehicular bridge, which will span over 8 kilometers in length and connect the city’s main boulevard to Cancun’s hotel district. Although local tourism associations say the works are important in the long run, they are concerned the construction efforts will affect main roads used by tourists headed to the resort area from the airport. Meanwhile, they want road users, including visitors, to be aware of alternative routes to avoid traffic buildup in the location. Construction of the new bridge is set to begin in early July, coinciding with the busy travel period.
Although the goal of the upgrade is to prevent traffic build-up and improve road efficiency, the construction phase may achieve just the opposite. That’s why several Cancun organizations have requested the federal government to plan alternative travel routes in the vicinity of the construction sites, ensuring minimal interruptions to tourists’ travel plans.
Meanwhile, some tourism associations have expressed concern over the lack of communication from state authorities regarding interruptions caused by the beginning of the bridge’s construction work. As a result, visitors are being warned of increased traffic in the hotel zone in the following weeks.
Several state and federal institutions are set to meet this August in order to devise plans to ensure that tourists don’t face unnecessary setbacks as a result of construction work. Some of the crucial entities taking part include the Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport (SICT) as well as the National Tourism Development Agency (Fonatur). Meanwhile, tourism associations are awaiting imminent updates from local authorities as to the short-term interruptions, so that hotels and other businesses may plan accordingly.
Aside from the new bridge, one of the major roadworks currently planned in the area will affect the main highway entrance to the city of Cancun. The makeover entails the renovation and modernization of the highway leading to Cancun International Airport as well as repairs to over 13.3 kilometers of the Luis Donaldo Colosio boulevard, one of Cancun’s main roads running along the coastline. Moreover, the avenue is situated along an important stretch of the Cancun-Riviera Maya tourist corridor, with thousands of vehicles crossing it daily.
The local government expects to spend around 1.3 billion Mexican pesos for roadworks between 2022 and 2023 to improve the condition of Cancun roads.
Alongside the Maya Train, which will significantly improve tourist mobility around the Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo will see a boost to its overall tourist infrastructure. The area currently lacks sufficient public transport options, including trains and metros, but this is set to change over the next year.
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