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.

Tourist Violence in Baja California (Norte)

Violence in Baja California (Norte)
BajaInsider.com

There are well publicized reports of violence against travelers in Baja California (Norte) including robbery, assault and kidnapping. Attacks mostly occurred at night in remote locations, but at least one attack was reported to be brazen. Travelers should take precautions and not camp in isolated areas and not travel at night. Traveling in convoy with others could be helpful. North American travelers are often spoiled by the security of our State and National Parks and Forests, but US parks have security for a reason. Even with this security acts of violence occur in US parks as well.

This is not to diminish the situation. I have traveled worldwide for many years and there are few countries where I would camp in remote rural areas and not expect trouble. At this time the state of Baja California (norte) is no exception. Even experienced Baja travelers should elevate their level of awareness.

This week the Sud Californiano announced that at least one of the described attackers had been apprehended red handed with the weapon he was alleged to have used in previous attacks. There may still be others at large. Reports in North American press allege local authorities did not take this issue on promptly but now appear to be treating the situation with priority.

None of these attacks have occurred in Baja California Sur.

It is important to remember that bringing a firearm to Mexico to protect yourself IS NOT AN OPTION. Should the weapon be discovered in one of many possible military searches you are very likely to spend time in a Mexican prison. Should you be so misfortunate as to have to USE the illegal weapon to defend yourself and someone is injured you will almost certainly be looking at several YEARS in a Mexican prison.

Baja California Sur road update

Please be advised that the road headed north of Cabo San Lucas towards Todos Santos is under construction and has large delays many times as you are entering the city from the North. Be advised this can add a half hour or more to your trips from Cabo to La Paz or of course the other direction as well.

The largest portion of this construction is located from the Transito (Police) station 3 miles north of downtown Cabo and continues to the Soriannas just entering the main part of Cabo San Lucas Baja California Sur.

Not much any of us can do about it other than plan for it. There will four lanes with new laterals for turning off on when they are finally finished hopefully soon.

September 6, 2007Cabo San Lucas to TijuanaVarious Insider Readers
Roads in Baja Sur appear to have suffered little from the passage of Hurricane Henriette. We have not yet received detailed road reports from readers, but here is what we have learned so far.
Highway 1 - La Paz to East Cape is open and passable in a car. There are many places where debris has washed into the road and a couple of vados that must be forded. The construction around the bridge work is the most difficult, mud and tire ruts. This was being worked on when we passed.
La Paz to Cabo San Lucas via Highway 19 (Todos Santos) Now open, there were some closures initially at the Bordo in La Paz due to flooding. This is now open. (They are currently constructing a bridge to remedy this problem) Some wash into the road in several places. Road crews are on it.
Puerto Los Cabos is cut off, dur to flooding of the crossing.
La Paz to Pichilingue - Some washouts near Balandra - watch the shoulder!
La Paz to La Ventana - No Report
La Paz to Constitucion - Cars were being escorted across 2' of water yesterday near the la Paz Airport, only the boldest of drivers crossed. This section is open today. Much debris on the roadway. Large sharp rocks took out one Insider's tire. Road is OK all the way to Constitucion.
Constitucion to Loreto - Sketch reports coming to us, one report says roads are passable, another thought no.. Some flooding around Constitucion.
Loreto to Santa Rosalia - No Report
Santa Rosalia to San Diego - No problems.

September 6, 2007Cabo San Lucas to TijuanaVarious Insider Readers
Roads in Baja Sur appear to have suffered little from the passage of Hurricane Henriette. We have not yet received detailed road reports from readers, but here is what we have learned so far.
Highway 1 - La Paz to East Cape is open and passable in a car. There are many places where debris has washed into the road and a couple of vados that must be forded. The construction around the bridge work is the most difficult, mud and tire ruts. This was being worked on when we passed.
La Paz to Cabo San Lucas via Highway 19 (Todos Santos) Now open, there were some closures initially at the Bordo in La Paz due to flooding. This is now open. (They are currently constructing a bridge to remedy this problem) Some wash into the road in several places. Road crews are on it.
La Paz to La Ventana - No Report
Puerto Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo is cut off due to flooding.
La Paz to Pichilingue - Some washouts near Balandra - watch the shoulder!
La Paz to Constitucion - Cars were being escorted across 2' of water yesterday near the la Paz Airport, only the boldest of drivers crossed. This section is open today. Much debris on the roadway. Large sharp rocks took out one Insider's tire. Road is OK all the way to Constitucion.
Constitucion to Loreto - Sketch reports coming to us, one report says roads are passable, another thought no.. Some flooding around Constitucion.
Loreto to Santa Rosalia - No Report
Santa Rosalia to San Diego - No problems.

Baja Californa Road Report

July 14, 2007Hwy 1/19 La Paz to Los CabosBaja Insider
The four lane expansion continues between La Paz and Cabo San Lucas along Hwy 1 and Hwy 19 along the Pacific Coast route of the Baja Sur loop. Four nicely paved lanes now are complete from La Paz to the 1/19 Y. The exception is a new bridge over the vado just about 1 mile north of the Y.
The bridge construction of the piles has been completed and crews are now working just south of the roadway, prefabricating the beams for the bridge. The pieces will later be moved into place by cranes. A similar process is underway right within the pueblo of San Pedro. San Pedro used to be a series of speed bumps on the road to Todos Santos from La Paz. Pottery shops, roadside tacos, locals selling pitayas or queso are common and little tiendas lined the highway for not much more than a mile. I think when the four lane is completed it will alter the face of San Pedro into a place where dust collects from fast passing cars.
Another significant challenge to La Paz/Cabo driving is a construction of a new bridge at the Bordo Vado on Calle Forjadores (Hwy 1) just meters south of the cutoff for Pichilingue. They have already paved the by-pass to which traffic will be diverted shortly. The vado is nearly a Km wide and ALL commercial traffic and a majority of all traffic bound for the rest of Baja Sur will have to cross this detour then enter a traffic signal that is already congested.
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Speaking of paving, they are resurfacing Hwy 19 between Cerritos and Cabo San Lucas. Three years ago this section was resurfaced with what I call the 'rice krispy cookie' technique, were aggregate is laid down, then tar applied and the process repeated. That section of highway was under construction for months. It also proved not very durable under the heavy traffic and high heat of that section of roadway. Everything consumed in Los Cabos travels that road. This time a paving machine is laying beautiful asphalt surface at the rate of about a 2 feet a minute. The road crews of closed 1 of two lanes for what seemed to be an inordinate distance of about 3 miles. Traffic is held in one direction for up to 15 minutes. Quite a line can build up in that time ad this can be particularly difficult in the southbound direction in which all the trucks are full. The 30 mph crawl that the pack is reduced to can often be reduced further when there are several heavy trucks in your convoy.

Construction on the 4 lane has begun from Todos Santo northward. Along the south side of the road clearing has begun. Unfortunately, one of the most ill-conceived Pemex stations has been constructed on the outskirts of Todos Santos. The new station is located on the headwaters of the freshwater feed to the city below. All gas stations leak, at very least from their parking apron. To add insult to injury here, the construction company pushed the building trash into the marsh are RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD in plain view. That's OK Pemex, there is lots of clean fresh water here in Baja Sur!

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In the middle of the stretch from the Y to Todos Santos is a restaurant named Bugunbillia and a cluster of homes. In this area the 4 lane work is in process as well and there is a detour off the road during weekdays of about 2-3km. This is driving over graded desert. There are places that will become quickly impassable when it rains, even a little Traffic is slow and the dust is high.
I have been driving the Baja Sur Loop back and forth to Cabo now for 6 years. There have always been a limited number of places to pass and fewer that many drivers would call safe. Over the years I have memorized al of these places and strategically plan my moves around convoys of trucks. on this last trip, so much traffic is using this road in the other lane, those rare passing locations often have on-coming traffic. Although the 4 lane construction is going to be much more painful before it gets better, it is sorely needed.

For years, the 1/19 route was faster for La Paz travelers to get to the San Jose del Cabo Airport. Today, With the increased traffic, construction and that southbound trucks are laden, I found the Hwy 1 route along East Cape, although longer, took exactly the same amount of time as the Pacific route. Northbound, Hwy 1/19 is still a few about 15 minutes shorter.

Drive sober, drive safe - try not to drive at sunset and after dark. Much Ojo!

Tijuana to La Paz March 10, 2007

Baja Road Report Tijuana to La Paz March 10, 2007

Looking north over the quiet little town of Santa Rosalia March 10, 2007 TJ to La Paz Robert Veteran Baja Driver The transpeninsular highway has never been in better shape! I crossed the border at San Ysidro in the predawn hours and was waved through Customs, despite having tripped a red light. Traffic was light until I was on the south side of Ensenada – it must have been Friday rush hour! From Ensenada to Colnet, truck traffic kept me below the posted limits most of the way. It is incredible how much areas like San Quentin and Colnet have grown! Need Mexican Auto Insurance? Click here for an instant quote or print your policy online NOW! The military check point north of El Rosario was already busy at 11AM, with about 15 cars waiting for northbound Santa Rosita, south of Ensenada has nearly doubled in size in the last few years. inspection. This was the only checkpoint that even bothered to open the rear hatch of my car and take a cursorily look through my belongings. Northbound travelers seemed to be getting a pretty good going over through. The trip through the high desert was lovely, very green and the Boojums are in great spring form. Watch for the speed trap in Catavina. Even the Semi's were going through the area at a crawl. There is the reoccurring pot hole in the south bound lane in the vado on the south side of Catavina. There was virtually nothing to report the rest of the the first day, in Baja California. we crossed into Baja Sur around sunset and stayed in Guerreo Negro. At the immigration Station we were asked for our travel papers but the car was neither searched or sprayed. A Columbia Exports truck winds it's way up the steep grade south of Ensenada We left about 9AM, after the fog lifted in Guerreo Negro and made good time on the long straight-aways toward San Ignacio. There were some rough spots in the road for the fist 80 miles, but nothing drastic. In San Ignacio a truck carrying chicken crates had lost part of it's load right at the main intersection where you turn off Hwy one to go to town. There were a few chickens running about, but there didn't seem to be enough to have filled the cages dumped in the road. Perhaps Chicken was on the menu at several additional homes in S. I. that night! As we got closer to Santa Rosalia there were still some warning markers for hurricane road damage. It seemed that most of them were false alarms, as any damage we saw and already been repaired. A bridge is under construction at the canyon north of Cuesta del Infierno Just north of Cuesta del Infierno, (the long steep hill, just north of Santa Rosalia) there is a dramatic vado that the highway has wound through for years. There are always a few wrecked cars at the bottom, those that failed to negotiate the sharp curves and drop-offs of this road hazard. Now they are building a bridge across it that will make the roadway flat and straight from one side of the canyon to the other. Having driven this road for years, I think it will take away some of the charm though. Mulege still showed debris lining the riverbed, but nothing like we had expected. South bound at Cuesta del Infierno homeward bound travelers get their reassuring first glimpses of the Sea of Cortez Closer to Loreto there was more evidence of road repairs and just one dip about 2km south of Loreto that rattled my teeth a little. Could be much worse pulling a trailer. Just north of the CD Insergents intersection they are rebuilding a bridge. It's a short detour that slows you down to a crawl for a few hundred yards. It was clear sailing from there to La Paz, with the exception of the traditional road damage near Santa Rita. One vado made the car bottom out at 50mph - Ooops! In the entire trip we saw 1 Federal Hwy patrol car and one Green Angel (Hwy rescue) which is fewer than I have EVER seen. Looking north along the main boulevard in CD Constitucion We saw quite a few US license plates driving south and met some great people at our rest stops. Truck traffic seemed light, but our second day was a Saturday. We had just one run in with a small caravan of RV'ers headed south. They seemed to feel it was an affront to their manhood to be passed, despite the fact they could barely maintain 40mph on some of the grades. Please guys it has nothing to do with size - it's how fast you can drag it! Overall, it was probably one of the smoothest trips I have made in 8 years. Our total 'on the road time' was 22hrs and 15 minutes, from the border to our home in La Paz.   Happy (and safe) Trails all!

 

 

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