Roads in Guanajuato are improved

The Guanajuato-Silao Highway is being renovated, and the project to San Miguel de Allende is moving on

Guanajuato/Gto News

Thirty-six years after its construction, the Guanajuato-Silao Highway is undergoing major renovations to ensure faster, safer, and more comfortable traffic.

Since June 19, structural work has been underway, resulting from technical studies that revealed the need to renew the pavement. This work is being carried out by the concessionaire Valle de la Independencia SA de CV, with an investment of 581 million pesos.

Main rehabilitation actions:

• Complete renewal of the asphalt pavement
• New toll plaza: expanded from 5 to 8 lanes, with space for 2 additional lanes
• Drainage works: cleaning and repair of 37 hydraulic structures
• Slope stabilization: removal of vegetation, placement of mesh, and reinforcement of eroded areas
• Rehabilitation of complementary hydraulic structures: curbs, gutters, wash basins
• Bridges: intervention on 8 structures with repair of elements, replacement of supports, sealing, and painting
• Signage: Complete renovation to comply with current regulations, including painting, road markings, and containment barriers

The head of the Secretary of Public Works, Juan Pablo Perez Beltran, called on the public to exercise extreme caution during the construction work and reiterated that this rehabilitation is the result of a thorough technical assessment, beyond the visual condition of the highway.

New Silao-San Miguel de Allende Highway: Infrastructure that transforms

The State Official noted that, in addition to rehabilitating the current highway, the concessionaire will also build the new Silao-San Miguel de Allende Highway, with high-specification standards and without resorting to public funds.

This project will strengthen the connection of the industrial and tourism corridor of Guanajuato.

Key features of the new section:

• Length: 52.17 km, type A2 with a crown width of 12 m
• Reduction of curves: from 61 to 25, which improves safety and raises the design speed to 110 km/h
• Time saving: more than 30 minutes compared to the current free road
• Works included: 42 vehicular bridges, 6 pedestrian and livestock bridges
• Safety and maintenance: ongoing monitoring and semi-annual reviews based on the SICT 500-point methodology

Benefits for the State:

• A total investment of more than 6 billion pesos is estimated, generating more than 1,000 direct jobs and 500 indirect jobs
• The concessionaire will report an annual contribution of 0.5% of its income to the State
• The concessionaire will share revenue with the State Government if the projected revenue is exceeded by 10%
• A percentage of operating expenses will be allocated to socially impacting projects in nearby communities
• The State will retain full ownership of both highways, in which the equity value will increase from 1.25 billion pesos to 5.4 billion pesos at the end of the contract

All operation and maintenance will be the responsibility of the concessionaire during the 30-year term of the concession.

Benefits for the regional development:

• The Leon–Silao–Guanajuato–Dolores Hidalgo–San Miguel de Allende tourist corridor is being strengthened
• Improves connectivity for municipalities such as Comonfort, San Luis de la Paz, San Diego de la Union, and San Jose Iturbide
• It facilitates access to the Canada de la Virgen archaeological site, as well as the La Cieneguita tourist and wine-growing center
• The urban, tourist and economic development of the central region of the State is promoted

“This concession scheme represents an efficient and responsible model of public investment that avoids State debt, increases the value of State assets, and frees up public resources for other priority projects,” said Perez Beltran.

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