Playa del Carmen Braces for Traffic Disruptions as CFE Expands Power Grid

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) is carrying out new construction to expand Playa del Carmen’s electrical grid in response to rising demand, with work on avenues 115, 125 and Luis Donaldo Colosio that could run for up to six weeks and cause temporary disruptions to traffic, according to Edgar Zapata Buenfil, deputy secretary of Infrastructure and Public Works.

Zapata Buenfil said the city’s growth and heavier use of electrical equipment have increased pressure on existing infrastructure, a situation that has contributed to problems with the power supply. As part of the project, crews are installing new cabling at the junction of avenues 115 and 125, along with another stretch that runs roughly from Villas del Sol, along the El Tintal highway, toward avenue 115.

City Officials Press CFE for Proper Repairs

Zapata Buenfil acknowledged that the municipal government has clashed with the CFE over the quality of some earlier work, mainly utility vaults installed on roadways used by heavy cargo vehicles. He said some of those locations were repaired and later had to be worked on again.

In response, the city is maintaining working groups with CFE representatives and city council members to improve coordination and oversee the projects. Beyond limiting traffic disruptions while the work is under way, the municipality wants the affected areas properly repaired once the new electrical infrastructure is in place.

The work could take between one and one and a half months, although rain may alter the schedule. Zapata Buenfil said municipal officials will supervise the projects and demand that roadways be left in conditions similar to those before the work began, noting that sinkholes, deteriorated utility vaults or damaged pavement can become a hazard for motorcyclists and drivers.