Riviera Maya Road Revamp

As Cancun and the Riviera Maya continue to grow and flourish, any local following the #traficun hashtag on Twitter knows just how crazy traffic can get.

Highway 307 has especially affected by luxury resorts, new attractions and the discovery of hidden beaches. This coastal road begins in Cancun and continues south through Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Bacalar, all the way through the entire Riviera Maya.

With more and more commuters, weekend warriors, tourists and locals using this coastal highway over the past few years, traffic jams became so common that the stoplights, intersections and slower speed limits in each town along the road were more of a headache than a help.

A bridges and tunnel system was planned for popular traffic jam areas along Highway 307, like southern Cancun, Bonfil, Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. Cancun kicked off this new system with a tunnel and traffic circle combination at the intersection of Avenida Tulum and Avenida Kabah, whose stoplight used to cause ridiculous lines at rush hour.

Avenida Tulum tunnel in southern downtown Cancun

As you drive 5 minutes south of the new tunnel, the Bonfil intersection is also undergoing the tunnel treatment, making a trip from downtown Cancun to the airport a breeze. (I used to drive through this intersection twice a day, and trust me… that stoplight had to go.)

The soon-to-be Bonfil tunnel

As you continue south along Highway 307 and make your way along the coast of the Riviera Maya, you won’t have to stop or even slow down thanks to the new overpass in the small fishing town of Puerto Morelos.

The convenient overpass bridge in Puerto Morelos is small, yet beautifully adorned!

The most impressive project of all is the new bridge/overpass system running through Playa del Carmen.Driving through this city used to cut 10-20 minutes off of travel time, but not any more. A set of several impressive bridges, combined with many entry and exit ramps, makes it easy for travelers and Playa del Carmen locals to get where they need to go.

Exit ramp by the Playa del Carmen bridge

 

These bridges are perfect for cutting travel time

So far I’m loving this new system! It’s so much faster and easier to get to the airport and travel through the Riviera Maya. No more stoplights for this gringa aventurera!

Disclosure:  I am being compensated for my work in creating and managing content as a Community Manager for the Mexico Today Program.  All stories, opinions and passion for all things Mexico shared here are completely my own.