San Diego to Puerto Escondido
May 25, 2012 - Time/Miles/Condition
Neil Ablitt

We made a quick trip down to pick up a boat and trailer and get it back to the states asap: down averaged 67/mph and 16 miles/gal – back w/trailer 33/mph and 8 miles/gal.

Travel times are for down trip – times almost double coming back up.

It does appears new road construction standards require shoulders and 3 lane bridges – a much needed improvement Border to Ensenada center – 70 miles – 1 hr 20 min.

Toll road construction at K 46 to 52 – one lane – well marked with flagmen.

Ensenada to El Rosario – 145 miles – 3 hrs 20 min. Major highway cut project south of Santo Tomas completed – the new road has shoulders and eliminates multiple curves. K 90 – 96 equipment on site getting ready for major repaving – some pot holes

El Rosario to Guerro Negro – 222 miles – 4 hrs. K 215 – 219 some pot holes also at K 265 - 270 K 72 – 85 (after Bahia LA turn-off) – new paving construction – you’ll drive on dirt – just go slow. K 52 short stretch with pot holes.

For more info...http://www.bajainsider.com/driving-baja/baja-road-report.htm

Mid Feburary Road report

Road Report for mid February, 2011 This report covers Mexico Highway 1 from the Rosarito Beach/Puerto Nuevo area to La Paz, BCS, and was done in a Jeep Liberty towing a 17’ Casita travel trailer. The combination of a short wheelbase tow vehicle and a short trailer on the undulating highway provided an abundance of bounce per kilometer and affected my perception of road conditions, not to mention my comfort as well as that of my wife. The first significant problem, as reported by others, is no longer a problem since the road construction in the hills south of Maneadero is nearly finished, fully repaved in the southbound lanes, and as smooth as glass. Lane striping had not begun as of Feb. 12. In the mountains between Lázaro Cárdenas and El Rosario there is a short (1/2-mile)rough dirt detour due to road construction. South of Catavińa, in the vicinity of San Martin, the road becomes quite rough with hundreds of shallow potholes until reaching approximately Km 203. From Km 203 to Km 215, the potholes pretty much disappear, but it is still rough. Once past Km 215 the road returns to normal and improves considerably around Km 221. And that’s all the bad there is to report! Having last driven the highway in 1990, I found much to be grateful for, as it is apparent that the government is spending a lot of money to improve the highway by widening, repaving, and building bridges where none used to exist but should have. Concrete bridges are being built at all major vados, in sharp contrast with the past, and the detours are paved! But those bridges are a major contributor to highway bounce, because each section of the several it may take to cross a vado, is made with an upward curve where the middle is higher than the ends. Depending on your speed, this provides an undulating surface and significant oscillations. 80 to 90 Kph provided exactly that for our car and trailer combination. Happy travels, Don Neilson

Visit Baja in the Spring

An Invitation from Your Friends in Baja Springtime is high season for Baja Sur tourism with throngs of escaping snowbirds usually flock to our shores and deserts. Removed from the headlines of Cartel violence, Baja California Sur travel providers need their friends to come visit.

Baja Road Report

February 5, 2011
KVB
Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas

We made the drive from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas over two days, starting mid-morning Jan. 31.

The drive was a breeze, and I was driving a fairly low-slung German convertible. Any suggestions that the road is poor is inaccurate. There are some sections that are slightly rough, but I've hit far worse potholes on the Interstate coming in So Cal from Vegas.

Baja roads still closed in Northern Baja

Baja Norte roads closed from the border south. I just checked with the Federales del Caminos (Highway Patrol) and they say the roads from Ensenada to Tijuana and Tecate are still out. There are ways around but they do not suggest anyone try to use these detours especially in small vehicles. The buses and big trucks are still not able to make it south from the border to Ensenada.

The Federales did feel it would be open later this evening via detours and therfore expect a slow trip down to Ensenada. They really recommned people to wait a day or so before trying to pass these areas and it is still raining in Guerro Negro at the Baja/ Baja Sur border in the middle of the pennisula so driving all the way south can be difficult at ths time...

Wait and be safe and sure....

Baja roads still closed in Northern Baja

I just checked with the Federales del Caminos (Highway Patrol) and they say the roads from Ensenada to Tijuana and Tecate are still out. There are ways around but they do not suggest anyone try to use these detours especially in small vehicles. The buses and big trucks are still not able to make it south from the border to Ensenada.

The Federales did feel it would be open later this evening via detours and therfore expect a slow trip down to Ensenada. They really recommned people to wait a day or so before trying to pass these areas and it is still raining in Guerro Negro at the Baja/ Baja Sur border in the middle of the pennisula so driving all the way south can be difficult at ths time...

Wait and be safe and sure....

Tecate, Baja California and South road report

This road report for those that like to cross at Tecate Baja Calfornia has just been sent to us at info@bajainsider.com To recieve our regular BajaInsider updates just subcribe by clicking here.

Also be sure you have the proper auto insurance. You may click here to purchase online and here is the following report from Earl Smith:

This road report will update the one from October 19 for those of us who prefer to cross at Tecate. On Nov.14 we made the run from Yuma to Rancho Sordo Mudo in one day without incident . The RV park was empty.
South of Guadeloupe we encountered the same road construction starting near Chivato and lasting all the way to El Sauzal. There was no problem and only one delay. However there is one curving stretch down a slightly steep hill that could present a problem for folks travelling north especially in a large RV.

The RV park at El Pabellon was empty.

The bridge construction reported at km40 south of El Pabellon is proceeding and there were still no problems getting around the detour.
Just pass this point however the road starts up the steep winding hill to the Mesa El Rosario and topping out at the military check point..
This is torn up and has a gravel surface. Because we had to slow for the construction, gravel and steep curves we had to drop into first gear
to get over. Our V10 almost didn't make it. Our friends had to go
into four wheel drive.

From there the road was alternately the same as always or resurfaced and widened in stretches. The gas pump at the Catavina Desert Inn is still not used. Only one other rig at Rancho Santa Inez The highway is as described in the previous article all the way to Guerrero Negro where we have had to stop to have the engine repaired

Earl Smith experienced Baja Driver

Baja Transpenisular Hwy1 CAUTION

This report just in from a concerned reader of ours who just drove down the Baja Highway to just southof La Paz. He has very strong caution for those with extra wide trailers..

URGENT WARNING for wide trailers… I just arrived LaVentana 10/26 via Highway 1. I hauled my wide trailer. Wider than a full size pick up truck. If your boat trailer, trailer, or vehicle is extra wide I would not drive it down south right now.

Where they are doing the new construction and really widening the road an hour north of cativina it is not safe to go southbound there with a wide trailer. They have the road torn up and two full size vehicles can not pass opposite directions at the same time in 3-4 different stretches. It is broken into the road enough that if you meet a bus or semi you just lost your vehicles and possibly life. I made it by going 5 mph and stopping. So it is the ultimate roulette. Not worth it….

I would not allow any friend to drive a wide vehicle/trailer on this stretch what so ever… cars and trucks are absolutely fine, just some white knuckles, as a stretch of a quarter mile there was a 3-5 foot sheer dropoff as they removed the road to the west side completely. I do not know if it was just the weekend or what but it was a Saturday and there was no work being done on this section. I highly recommend people post updates to this construction progress for travelers with wide trailers safety… Other than that only one issue just south of lorretto in the mountains a part of the road missing, but was well marked when I went by. Two large vehicles can not fit there either, but jut one spot. Dean

Post Hurricane Norbert Road report for Baja

This road report just submitted to us from one of our readers, Lorne Reiter, who just drove down the entire transpenisular highway 1 of Baja California. Her report follows as she wrote it:

Norbert had little effect on the transpeninsular highway. Aside from the usual rock falls south of Loreto that have already been cleaned up and a couple of minor construction washouts leading onto the two bridges east of Insurgentes, Norbert's visit did little damage to the highway.
Our trip from San Diego to San Jose del Cabo took two days, starting Tuesday Oct 14. We stayed overnight in Guerrerro Negro and the hotel was nearly empty. Traffic was thin compared to other years. The beaches south of Mulege were empty...first time I have seen that in many years!
There is road widening and resurfacing north of Catavina and again north of Loreto with possible delays for single lane traffic. Constitucion is limited to one lane each way as the main highway in town is being rebuilt. Other than these three projects the highway is better than ever.

Lorne we really appreciate submissions such as yours as many people are preparing to drive the baja and have been asking about the road conditions.

People you may also want to suscribe to our updates so that you regulay will be infromed as to what the roads, weather, fishing and other reports contain.

Thank you again for helping us have more up todate information concerning traveling Baja!

Major Baja Border Crossing Expansioned planned

New Baja Border Crossing expansion Plans

Published in The San Diego Union-Tribune

Big expansion ahead at border entry

Plans aim to ease wait and increase security

By Janine Zúñiga
STAFF WRITER

February 27, 2008

Federal officials are planning a major expansion of the San Ysidro port of entry to accommodate the growing number of travelers – more than 50,000 vehicles and 25,000 pedestrians daily – heading into the United States.

Graphic:Here is the planned expansion of the Baja border

San Ysidro Port of Entry redesign
Construction may begin this summer on the $577 million project that will increase the number of lanes in each direction and realign southbound lanes. The project will include larger, more sophisticated administration buildings, as well as primary and secondary inspection areas.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, who has lobbied state and federal officials for the project's funding since taking office, said yesterday the expansion is “critically important to our region's future economic health.”

“We need to move this project forward,” said Sanders, speaking at the border.

Developments

Background: To improve security and reduce border waiting, the General Services Administration is working on a $577 million expansion of the San Ysidro port of entry.

What's happening: The port will be demolished in phases and rebuilt to accommodate the latest security and anti-terrorism advancements. The GSA plans to expand the number of northbound gates from 24 to at least 31. Completion is expected by 2014.
The General Services Administration, which manages federal government real estate, is working on architectural and engineering designs, and on an environmental review. The expansion plan is the GSA's largest border-crossing project.

“It's going to be an incredible landmark,” said GSA Administrator Lurita Doan. “Given how many people come through the port of entry, it will be a chance for us to show them something really amazing.”

Doan saidthefunding is on track. Congress has approved $231 million since 2004, including $197 million in the 2008 budget. An additional $59 million is proposed for next year.

The number of vehicles crossing the border is expected to increase by up to 70 percent by 2030, according to a San Diego Association of Governments study. San Diego County loses nearly $1.3 billion in potential revenue each year from people who don't cross the border because of bottlenecks, another SANDAG study found.

“Quite simply, we need a border wait time of 15 to 30 minutes, and the technology to keep us well within that range,” said Jason Wells, executive director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce.

Wells organized the Smart Border Coalition, an association of business and community groups whose members were concerned when plans included the loss of private property. GSA has since reduced the amount of land it planned to take.

Ramon Riesgo, who heads the GSA's National Border Station Program, said another recent coalition-inspired change to the project was the addition to the draft design of a second pedestrian entry to Mexico east of Interstate 5. Currently, pedestrians enter only on the west side.

Wells said border businesses live or die based on waits at one of the world's busiest land-border crossings. He said businesses countrywide depend on partners, employees and customers south of the border.

Due to prior expansions and renovations at the 32-year-old border crossing, inspection areas and offices are next to a busy pedestrian bridge. Holding cells and areas for confiscated drugs are next to rooms for travelers awaiting documents.

Plans call for the expanded port to cover 225,000 square feet of federal land, and several privately owned parking lots and a duty-free store. The government may take the land, but Riesgo said GSA officials are talking with the land owners. The duty-free store may be relocated to nearby property.

An expanded southbound I-5 will veer west just before the border then south to an area at the border used in the past for commercial inspections.

Sanders said yesterday that Mexican officials are working with U.S. counterparts to accommodate the new crossing.

The project's first phase includes acquiring property and construction of northbound lanes. A second phase includes northbound inspection buildings, and a third phase includes the southbound roadway and renovation of a 1930s port building.

Once the design and environmental review are completed, GSA will seek development proposals. The port will remain open during construction.