Traffic Chaos Due to Sinkholes Along Cancun – Tulum Highway

Multiple sinkholes have caused problems and cracks along highway 307

Authorities announced that FONATUR (National Fund for the Promotion of Tourism) has finally taken over the control of the highway and are now in the planning stages of a 22.7 KM (14 miles) detour that will relieve traffic on a highway travelled by more than 50 thousand vehicles transiting every day.

This is is a temporary solution to a problem that started after the first collapse of a section of the Federal Highway 307.  The National Guard first warned that the road was cracking. It finally collapsed on February 10th at Kilometer 650.  Geological studies and plans for the construction to solve the problem of Highway 307 were presented to Governor Carlos Joaquín González by the federal agency.

The year old tunnel under the Tulum-Playa stretch reappeared after being repaired.

Raul Bermudez Arreola head of the CIP (Integrally Planned Center), held a private meeting at the Government House in Cancun, he confirmed the construction of a provisional detour, that will be built over the high tension lines of the Federal Electricity Commission and the process will take about 60 days. Once this solution was presented, FONATUR began preliminary work on the detour.

Two sites have collapsed in the last year, one close to Puerto Aventuras over a year ago and the other one close to Playa Paraiso between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. One of these sinkholes was repaired but the tunnel affecting the highway appeared again and continues to be a cause of concern to the federal agency that is now in charge of the highway.

Bermúdez Arreola, head of FONATUR, said that the 22.7-kilometer provisional detour will have access lanes to provide effective mobility and will allow vehicle traffic on the federal highway from Cancun to Playa del Carmen.

At the same time, the two areas with underground problems located on the federal highway are being monitored with the support of a group of experts in civil engineering, geology and geophysics, following a risk exploration protocol.

FONATUR said that the technical studies and work needed to be done to offer a solution to the sinkhole problem in km 265 started last Monday. The other sinkhole is also being studied and they will be able to offer a solution next Monday.

The federal agency pointed out how important it is to have the least amount of tourists affected by this, commute times for hotel workers, as well as airport transfers will take a little longer. Government is also concerned with how the building of the Maya train will affect this work.

It was on June 21st that the Federal Agency for Tourism Promotion took over the job of monitoring, repairing and supervising the Federal Highway. The Secretary of Communications and Transportation was in charge of this previously.

A difficult two years of traffic problems due to the construction of the Maya train and the repair of sinkholes lie ahead. The overall budget needed for this is yet to be determined.

Source: La Verdad Noticias