Puerta al Mar Highway Nears Completion at 80%

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Mexico — The Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) will hold an informational meeting on Wednesday, October 15, coordinated by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), with the goal of clarifying any doubts for municipal residents and environmental organizations.

The project, known as "La Puerta al Mar" (The Gateway to the Sea), involves the widening and paving of 54.6 kilometers of the old road to Vigía Chico, which connects Felipe Carrillo Puerto with the Mexican Caribbean. A remaining 23 kilometers of the road are still located within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.

A tour conducted by journalist Hermelindo Martínez revealed that he departed from the highway near the former boarding school (Avenida Tecnológico) heading towards Vigía Chico to reach "El Playón," which connects to Punta Allen in the municipality of Tulum.

"Already, 30 kilometers of the highway have been completed and properly paved, just as the people of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, families, and owners of many ejidal and private lands had dreamed, allowing for free transit. That dirt road, that difficult-to-access dirt highway, is now a thing of the past. Now the highway modernization advances with a little more than 80 percent," he commented.

Along the edge of the now-paved road, ancient trees are still visible, including unmistakable pairs, as if they were made for each other, such as the Chechén and the Chacaj trees, in addition to the legendary sapodilla tree, bearing "many wounds" from which resin was extracted for chewing gum.

Although the fixed signs only illustrate the existence of panthers, there are also jaguars, howler monkeys, snakes, and others. Furthermore, wetlands, lagoons, and swamps can be seen where landowners make these fertile lands productive.

"There are almost 30 kilometers of finished highway where families are permitted to circulate. From there, circulation is halted because a security protection barrier exists, controlled by elements of the Sedena. Beyond that point, there is no more circulation," the reporter concluded.

What remains is for the Sedena to construct the so-called "artisanal road" with carved stones to reach its final point: Vigía Chico near "El Playón." The project has surpassed the original plan and has, until now, faced numerous liquidity problems, finally advancing slowly with the last stretch.