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There’s new construction in the Cancun tourist zone that will eventually be a blessing for travelers to the beach resort community.
However, it will be more of a curse for a little while until the construction project is finally completed.
Here’s what tourists need to know about the brand-new Puente Nichupté vehicular bridge project.
What is the New Puente Nichupté Bridge?
Construction is now underway in the Cancun tourist zone on a brand new roadway at Puente Nichupté, which will eventually connect the tourist corridor with the center of Cancun and cut the tourist transportation time substantially.
The three-lane state-of-the-art roadway will feature a demand-oriented reversible lane that will allow travelers and workers heading between the Cancun center and the tourist zone to take an over-water shortcut that actually saves time.
It will also feature two access interchanges for vehicles entering and exiting the bridge.
So far, the project has been proceeding slowly due to environmental concerns and the need to sink columns into the sea to be the support for the new bridge.
Temporary docks have been placed at the Puente Nichupté construction site to start the over-sea extension.
The estimated 5.5 to 7 million pesos project will be more than 13 kilometers long, a total of nine of which will be over water.
It is currently about 30 percent done, and the entire bridge is projected for completion sometime in March or April 2024, subject to any potential delays.
Why is Kukulcán Avenue Closed?
While the Puente Nichupté bridge project will ultimately benefit workers and travelers with a faster way to get between the center of Cancun and the hotel zone, the construction will be a headache until the project is done early next year.
Recently, a very popular lane on Kukulcán Avenue, near the Plaza Kukulcán in the hotel corridor, that tourists often use for access to the Cancun International Airport was closed as part of the construction project.
There is no date currently available for the reopening of this popular tourist travel lane.
Recently, the department in charge of transportation in Cancun recommended that visitors to Cancun and those who work in the hotel corridor find alternate routes to the tourist zone until the construction is complete in 2024.
Those that continue to use the popular route should expect delays.
Other than the closed lane, the construction of the new Puente Nichupté bridge project should not otherwise impact travelers to Cancun and hotel zone workers.
Additionally, orange construction cones and safety zones are in place to protect travelers and workers driving near the Cancun International Airport.
Tourist Travel Planning
Tourists that normally would use this popular roadway in the tourist zone for transportation between the Cancun International Airport and their hotel should anticipate delays along the route, which can be lengthy.
Much of the traffic is being rerouted along other roadways to avoid the traffic in the construction zone. However, that has also caused traffic along the alternate routes.
Most taxis and rideshare drivers are already aware of the construction and have started to adapt their routes to avoid the high-traffic area and help tourists avoid delays when getting to the Cancun International Airport or their resort hotel.
Ultimately, the Puente Nichupté bridge project will definitely benefit tourists not only by traveling between their resort hotels and the center of Cancun but should also be a faster route to get to Cancun International Airport in a more direct route.
However, tourists and workers in the hotel zone are going to have to deal with some headaches while construction on the Puente Nichupté bridge project progresses.
The benefit of the Puente Nichupté bridge project in a couple of months will definitely outweigh the headaches faced in the meantime.
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