Mérida’s ambitious new infrastructure project unveiled

In a joint press conference, Yucatan’s governor and Mérida’s mayor unveiled a mobility infrastructure project that affects how traffic flows throughout the city.

With the Mérida 2050 Agenda, the project comes with a price tag of 750 million pesos and is expected to generate over 11,000 new jobs.

Features of the plan include the construction of 16 roundabouts, 2,646 new smart traffic lights, elevated crosswalks and the repaving of 21 kilometers of roads. 

The Periférico, the highway that loops around the city, will get five new overpasses, while eight existing overpasses are to receive an overhaul, the officials said.  Although it is a federal road, no funds have been received from Mexico City for its maintenance, so maintenance of the ring road rests with the state and city.

The aim of the project is to ensure that Mérida’s infrastructure is able to keep up with the growth of the city, said Mayor Renán Barrera Concha. 

Officials also said that projects are likely to increase property values and improve prospects for investment in the city.  

The announcement comes on the heels of protests aimed at large-scale residential developments, such as the seven-tower complex known as Infiniti.