Ensenada toll road reopens

The southern portion of the Tijuana-Ensenada toll road, a major artery for tourism and commerce in Baja California that has been closed since a massive landslide last year, reopened on Tuesday afternoon.

Mexico’s Secretary of Communications and Transportation, Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, attended the ceremony in Ensenada to inaugurate the rebuilt stretch of the scenic highway, according to Capufe, the federal agency that maintains the road. Also present was Baja California Gov. Francisco Vega de Lamadrid.

The southern 20-mile stretch of the road has been off-limits for through traffic to Ensenada since a landslide on Dec. 28th led to the collapse of a 330-yard stretch at Kilometer 93, which overlooks Salsipuedes Bay. While the repairs have been taking place, travelers to Ensenada have been using a two-lane inland road that veers off at La Mision.

Authorities have said that the closure of the road has been costly to the region’s economy. Ensenada Mayor Gilberto Hirata Chico has estimated the losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.