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The $424 million dollar bridge construction project to speed up traffic on Kukulkan Avenue is nearly halfway done and will provide tourists to Cancun easier access to the hotel zone in the Mexican Caribbean.
The Nichupté Bridge Project
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation, the long-awaited Nichupté Bridge is about half done and despite construction delays, is moving ahead, connecting the two pieces bridging out in the middle of the lagoon.
The pillars for the new bridge were planned to be set at 50 meters, including the 20 to 25 meters sunk into the murky deep of the lagoon.
However, they ran into a construction snag when the team ran into something unexpected lurking in the lagoon.
What’s Hiding in the Lagoon?
As construction was progressing on the 5.5-mile bridge, the team drilling the pylons made an unexpected discovery of something hiding in the water of the tourist zone lagoon.
During the construction, the engineering team uncovered a previously unknown 220-foot diameter cavern.
The underwater cavern required the project team to revise and modify the existing building plans, which led to a significant delay in the overall construction of the Nichupté Bridge.
The Nichupté Bridge’s Impact for Tourists
The main focus of the $424 million dollar bridge project is all about tourism in Cancun and the Mexican Caribbean.
According to the Mexican Federal Government project outline document, the mission of the Nichupté Bridge for tourists and tourism included facilitating visitation of rarely visited places and locations far from the coast and the traditional tourist zone of Cancun.
It also is being built to provide a more effective alternative evacuation route for tourists and workers from the hotel zone of Cancun.
This was behind the initial goal to have the project road ready prior to the main part of the tropical weather and hurricane season in the Mexican Caribbean.
It also was to provide an additional roadway for workers and visitors in the hotel zone to get around the area, and to the centro of Cancun, without using Kukulkan Avenue as the main access road in the area.
For locals, the project was also initiated to trigger sustainable urban development and create jobs for workers.
Investments in Tourism Transportation
The Mexican Federal Government and the State of Quintana Roo, which includes Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, are making significant investments to improve transportation for tourists in the Mexican Caribbean.
The Nichupté Bridge project is one of several proceeding right now to make getting around the Mexican Caribbean easier for tourists.
Another big investment which is actively progressing is the Maya Train project.
Recently, plans were announced to build the train south so that tourists can also enjoy the neighboring country of Belize on a vacation getaway to the Mexican Caribbean.
It has so far made transportation easier for Cancun visitors to enjoy areas like the Mayan ruins in the Yucatan as well as the fascinating and colorful colonial-style town of Merida.
Tips for Tourists
Once complete, the Nichupté Bridge will definitely improve transportation for travelers getting to and from the hotel zone in Cancun to destinations in the Mexican Caribbean.
It will also improve access to the centro of Cancun as well as Cancun International Airport.
Traveler comments and complaints in Cancun often revolve around the issue with traffic in the area.
Tourists hate the long ride to their hotel in the hotel zone from the airport and then the time needed to get around to other parts of the area, such as Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
Now, getting around town, as well as the tourist experience, in Cancun should improve thanks in part to the access provided by the soon to be completed Nichupté Bridge
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