ENSENADA.- The Rosarito-Ensenada Toll Road is scheduled to reopen on September 15, 2014. Part of the highway has been shut down since December 2013 after a landslide caused a portion to collapse. Since that time, drivers have had to take alternative routes to travel to and from Ensenada.

The new section of the highway consists of 10 centimeter thick asphalt, on top of a 25 centimeter base, and sub base, on top of the collapsed area that was filled in using materials from the region. When completed, the new portion of the road will be at the same level as the former highway.

The reopening of the toll road will come as welcome relief to locals and tourist alike, not to mention business owners who have taken a hit as a result of less tourism in the area. The free road has absorbed most of the traffic, and traffic jams have frequently affected travelers. Cargo fleets were asked to divert via Tecate in order to leave the free road for non-cargo traffic, but many did not respect this request and caused traffic to worsen.

Once completed, all four lanes will be operational as well as the toll booth. The ground will be less uneven than before. The project required an investment of more than 640 million pesos. An area of approximately 15 kilometers was studied prior to construction beginning. The collapsed portion of the road lies on a fault line, but authorities state that the construction is meant to last.

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