Following Governor Rocío Nahle García’s announcement of the restructuring of the Córdoba-Orizaba bypass project, the president of the Business Coordinating Council (CCE), Luis Cruz Montesinos, indicated that they are now working on a new route, although he added that this time they are considering extending it towards Esperanza, Puebla.
It is worth recalling that last year the project called “Modernization, Maintenance, Rehabilitation and Operation of the Córdoba-Orizaba-Ciudad Mendoza Expressway” was presented; however, it was rejected because it did not meet the expectations of the local private sector, as it included the installation of two toll booths, which they considered a step backward.
The Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SICT) had planned the modernization, maintenance, rehabilitation, and operation of 45.3 kilometers of the Córdoba–Orizaba–Ciudad Mendoza expressway, which included widening it from four to eight lanes. The project was scheduled to begin this year (2026), but it was halted and, according to the state governor, will be restructured.
Bypass project must start from scratch: businessman
In response, Cruz Montesinos stated that, following the cancellation of the previous project, work must begin from scratch. This means new feasibility studies and new routes will be developed by SICT, which is responsible for carrying them out and presenting them to the relevant authorities, although the right-of-way has not yet been defined.
“A new study is going to be conducted, and we will definitely start from there. We understand that this bypass, which we desperately need, will finally be built next year,” commented the interviewee, who acknowledged that while the project is necessary, it was more urgent when the Fortín tollbooth 45 was in operation, which was removed in 2023.
“Now we see the need for a route, specifically from the Esperanza, Puebla area, a bypass that will help improve traffic flow in the region,” he said, recognizing that this road is one of the most important, since all the merchandise arriving at the Port of Veracruz and being transported to Mexico City travels along it.
Therefore, he reiterated, this is an issue that must be addressed as soon as possible, regardless of the route that SITC is considering for this new restructuring. He noted that, as a business organization, they are not fully informed about the changes the authorities are planning; they only know that the modifications are being worked on and will be presented once finalized.
“We believe it will happen. We have already had some meetings on this matter, and we think it will. We believe in them and in Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, who has already committed to making it happen next year,” he stated.
Regarding this, the president of the National Chamber of Commerce, José Manuel Gutiérrez Nieto, pointed out that, after the removal of tollbooth 45 in 2023, traffic flow in the Córdoba-Orizaba area improved significantly. However, a bypass is necessary to allow for the free movement of freight transport, further expediting the transport of goods from the Port of Veracruz to Mexico City.
Meanwhile, Lauro Rincón Hernández, president of the Mexican-American Federation of Carriers (Fematrac), stated that a bypass would greatly benefit freight transport, as it would reduce travel time on the road and, consequently, crime, allowing cargo trucks to move more quickly through the area.
This is especially important given the recent increase in assaults and robberies of cargo trucks, particularly in the Maltrata and Cumbres de Acultzingo area, where residents are requesting increased security from the National Guard and the Mexican Navy.
Similarly, some specialists in highway projects and representatives of colleges of architects, such as Rafael Flores and Carlos Reyes, as well as Antonio Morales Salinas, were consulted; however, they agreed that they did not know the initial project, so they could not give an opinion on it, although they specified that they would investigate the issue in order to give an opinion on what the area requires to improve mobility.
Source: oem
