Yucatán’s Transformation: Inside the Mayan Renaissance Project

Joaquín Díaz Mena is set to assume the governorship of Yucatán on October 1. This marks the start of 'The Mayan Renaissance', a project aimed at stimulating the state's economy through significant infrastructure development. Díaz Mena plans to consolidate this project over the next six years, positioning the state as a key player in attracting national and international investment in strategic sectors such as energy, automotive, 4.0, and logistics.

To attract these investments, Díaz Mena plans to promote significant infrastructure projects. These include the expansion and modernization of the high port of Progreso, the intermodal connection between the Transisthmic Train, the Mayan Train, and the Port of Progreso, the creation of two welfare poles, and the construction of a metropolitan ring road. The high port of Progreso is set to be the most important project, aiming to equip the state with modern facilities, increased cargo handling capacity, more cargo docks, terminals, and the necessary depth to accommodate larger draft ships, similar to those received by Panama.

Currently, port operations in the state are on a downward trend due to outdated infrastructure, saturated facilities, and insufficient depth for large ships and cruise liners. The modernization project plans to increase the port's area by 80 hectares to accommodate a larger installed capacity and to increase the depth and width of the navigation channel.

Díaz Mena highlighted that this project will transform Progreso into the most important port in the southeast of the country. It will be connected to the Mayan train, which will link it by railway to the transisthmus, reaching Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and from there to the Asian continent. The second major project in 'The Mayan Renaissance' is the connection of the Mayan Train with the port of Progreso, improving connectivity with the rest of Mexico and international markets.

The six-year term also includes the creation of two welfare industrial poles, aimed at developing the logistics and technology industry, while also strengthening employment, manufacturing, and tourism. This includes the construction of a metropolitan ring road in Mérida to accommodate the city's population growth, which has increased by 19 percent over the last 12 years.

This project aims to ease congestion on the current peripheral road, where 150,000 vehicles circulate daily, leading to around 284 deaths per year due to high speed, excessive traffic, and inadequate conditions. In Mérida, one million vehicles exacerbate traffic problems, and almost 46 percent of the urbanized area of the city is outside this area, where rapid expansion occurs.

Díaz Mena stressed that these actions form a vital infrastructure network that will make Yucatán more competitive and provide investors with favorable conditions for cargo movement by air, land, rail, and sea, making the state an attractive investment destination. These projects are expected to have a positive impact on state and regional development, and will promote Yucatán's growth and prosperity.