Kimpatsu Hekigan
Jun 10, 2002, 12:44 AM
Post #8 of 9
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Mazatlan to Tepic
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: A poster to this forum in March of this year described the stretch between Mazatlan and Tepic as "1/3 is autopista/cuota and the rest 2 lane."<p>I drove this stretch at the end of March. There are only two sections of toll road completed on Hwy 15 between Mazatlan and Tepic. One is a newly opened 25-km (or so) section between Rosario and Escuinapa (Rosario is about 60 km southeast of Mazatlan). It's not four-lane, but a two-lane limited access freeway with very wide shoulders. Many semi trucks and buses choose to use this toll road, so, depending on traffic, you can find yourself unable to pass and going quite slowly, even though it's a toll freeway. The other stretch is just before Tepic, and it's a four-lane freeway and quite nice, well worth the toll to avoid the trucks crawling up Hwy 15 to Tepic at 3,000 ft.<p>Two-lane Hwy 15 between Mazatlan and Tepic is one the most nerve-racking stretches of highway I've ever driven. A constant flow of buses and semis, combined with a narrow, twisting roadbed, often with no shoulders whatsoever, make it especially challenging. Two of the worst accidents I've seen in Mexico have been along this road. If you think the professional drivers do any better at negotiating this stretch, slow down and gawk at the bus and semi tractor-trailer "graveyard" along both sides of the road just south of the Tuxpan junction. Quite sobering...<p>: So the total distance is about 1380 km. and the roads are good.
I would say the tollways between Nogales and Mazatlan are generally in good shape. But note that there are some long stretches where the roadbed is not that great, with the top inch or so of pavement peeling badly, especially in the right-hand lane. Also, note that there are long stretches that are not really limited access toll road, but merely four-lane divided highway, for example, between Los Mochis and Guamuchil. There's lots of traffic entering the roadway from side roads in this area, and many slow-moving agricultural vehicles that one needs to look out for.<p>Hope this helps,<p> -- K.H.<p>
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