Cancún’s Nichupté Bridge Delayed to 2026

Cancún, Mexico — The Government of Quintana Roo has stated that the Nichupté Bridge will be completed "next year," without providing a specific date, contradicting the commitment of Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has repeatedly stated that the infrastructure would be ready by December of this year, creating an evident contrast in expectations.

Before the Commission for Sustainable Urban Development and Metropolitan Affairs of the local Congress, the head of the State of Quintana Roo's Agency for Strategic Projects (Agepro), Carlos Flores Hidalgo, detailed the progress of the work, which, according to presented data, has reached 87% completion with an investment exceeding 7,800 million pesos.

The bridge, which is 8.87 kilometers long—with two interchanges in the downtown and hotel zones, a road section 14.90 meters wide, one lane per direction, a reversible lane, and bike lanes—crosses the fragile Nichupté Lagoon and represents a key axis for decongesting traffic in Cancún, benefiting more than 1.3 million inhabitants and millions of annual tourists.

However, when responding to questions from Deputy Ricardo Velasco Rodríguez regarding the completion date, the director of Agepro was cautious. "Obviously, the intention is for it to be finished next year," he stated verbatim, without specifying a month or day.

In his explanation, Flores Hidalgo attributed the delay to the remaining 13% of pending work, centered on the interchange that connects with the hotel zone and downtown Cancún.

"The company is concentrating, and […] with the support of the SICT (Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation), on finishing precisely the interchange […]. All the [works] are almost entirely complete. Some details are still missing, like signage […], stops that will allow us to concentrate the flow there. And well, lighting is also a very important issue that is still needed. Coordination with the Secretary of Citizen Security is also underway for the installation of security cameras," he detailed.

He added that the constant changes in the completion date by the SICT are due to resource issues and "internal management matters that also must be considered as part of the federal investment programs and projects."

"We know that our president this year […] took up this project again and […] sometimes it's internal management," he concluded, hinting at possible budgetary and logistical adjustments as key factors.