New Compostela-El Capomo highway section reduces travel time and auto accidents by 80% in first two months

The new stretch of the Guadalajara-Puerto Vallarta highway from Compostela to El Capomo will celebrate its two-month anniversary on Monday, May 27. According to the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT) in Nayarit, this section has reduced travel time from Guadalajara to Bahía de Banderas and Puerto Vallarta by three hours and significantly decreased accidents.

This 29-kilometer highway, inaugurated on March 27, has cut the travel time from Compostela to Bahía de Banderas to just 25 minutes, avoiding the challenging curves of the old Federal Highway 200. Despite being the most expensive highway in the country, with round-trip tolls of $2,136 pesos from Bahía de Banderas to Guadalajara, drivers appreciate the time savings and comfort. Over 70% of traffic now uses this route, despite initial controversy.

The highway has seen an estimated 80% reduction in fatal and high-impact accidents. Since Easter 2024, there have been no recorded accidents in the region. In two months, emergency ramps have only been used twice by cargo trucks, and there has been just one closure due to a landslide.

The new bypass from La Cruz to Puerto Vallarta International Airport is expected to divert nearly all external traffic to Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta. This bypass is set to be completed and inaugurated by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in September.

LLM