Residents of Yucatán’s eastern coast kept the main road to Río Lagartos, San Felipe, and Las Coloradas blocked Saturday, demanding that the federal government widen a narrow highway they say has become too dangerous to drive.
The protest began around 10:30 a.m. Friday at the junction leading to the three coastal towns. Residents parked cars and motorcycles across the Tizimín–Río Lagartos highway, leaving some drivers stranded at the start of the long Día de Muertos weekend.
Protesters said the road is too tight for the traffic it now carries, including tractor-trailers hauling salt from Las Coloradas to Tizimín. Local media reported three crashes on the route in the past week, and residents said some recent accidents have been fatal.
State points to federal government
The state government said Saturday that the highway falls under federal jurisdiction, so any widening is the responsibility of Mexico’s Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation Ministry, known as SICT.
On Friday, at the direction of Gov. Joaquín Díaz Mena, the head of the Yucatán Highway Infrastructure Institute (INCAY), a SICT representative, and Río Lagartos Mayor Yesenia Loría Marfil went to the blockade to hear residents’ concerns. Officials proposed setting up a formal working group, but protesters turned down the first invitation.
The state then offered to hold the meeting either Saturday or Monday, Nov. 2, with federal officials who have the authority to make decisions. As of Saturday, the blockade remained in place.
Work is already underway on part of the route, but it does not include widening. Crews are releveling and resurfacing 48.5 km (30 miles) of the Valladolid–Río Lagartos stretch, from kilometer 55+500 to 104+000. The project costs MX$42.46 million (about US$2.3 million) and is 75% complete, according to the state.
Residents said they hope for an outcome similar to an earlier blockade on the Tizimín–Tixcancal road, which ended with an agreement to rehabilitate that highway.
Detours and a U.S. alert
State police have set up checkpoints at the exits from Tizimín and are steering drivers to alternate routes through the Tizimín–Akil and Loche junctions and the San Felipe–Río Lagartos crossing.
The U.S. Embassy issued a demonstration alert Saturday placing the blockade on Federal Highway 295 near kilometer 101+500. It passed along the state Public Security Ministry’s advice to avoid travel to Río Lagartos, San Felipe, and Las Coloradas and warned of significant delays.
The timing is hard on the area’s tourism businesses. Río Lagartos sits about 230 km (143 miles) from Mérida, roughly a 2½-hour drive via Tizimín. It is the gateway to the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, a 60,000-hectare (about 148,000-acre) wetland known for flamingos, crocodiles, and boat tours. Nearby Las Coloradas draws visitors to its pink salt ponds. The area’s eco-tourism boom has already brought more traffic to a road built for a sleepier coast.
Travelers with plans in the area this weekend should check local news before setting out and follow directions from police at the junctions.
Fast Facts
- What: Blockade demanding the widening of the Tizimín–Río Lagartos highway
- Where: Junction to Río Lagartos, San Felipe, and Las Coloradas, Federal Highway 295
- Started: About 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30
- Who’s responsible: SICT, because it is a federal highway
- Current roadwork: 48.5 km (30 miles) of resurfacing, 75% complete
- Detours: Tizimín–Akil and Loche junctions; San Felipe–Río Lagartos crossing
- Emergencies: Dial 911
With reporting from Diario de Yucatán, PulsoSur, Líneas Emergentes, Quadratín Yucatán, and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico