Drivers infuriated by dangers where train work clashes with Mérida-Cancún highway
Delays caused by construction are causing major headaches for divers on the Mérida-Cancún toll highway.
Major construction kicked off over a year ago along the highway to make way for Phase 4 of the Mayan Train.
But since construction began, it has proved not only inconvenient but also dangerous.
The total number of accidents, injuries, and deaths caused directly or indirectly by construction along the highway has not been released.
But news reports about accidents on the toll highway have become extremely common, and a contributing factor to virtually all of these accidents has been construction.
On several sections of the highway, lanes have been merged and speed limits have been reduced to as low as 30 and 40 kilometers per hour.
This has caused frustrating delays for drivers, many of whom speed up afterward to make up for lost time.
Earlier: Driving from Mérida to Cancun is now more expensive than ever
There have also been several accidents caused directly by conditions that have forced drivers to suddenly go offroad.
Accidents involving construction vehicles on the highway have also become routine and have usually involved heavy load trucks carrying material to and from construction sites.
Given all of these complications, many drivers prefer to avoid the toll road altogether and opt for the historically slower free road, which crosses several towns.
At 610 pesos, the Mérida-Cancún toll highway is one of the most expensive roads in the country, second only to La Marquesa-Ciudad de México.
No completion date for the Mayan Train highway construction has been announced.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer, adventure leader, and PhD candidate. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
