E X P Mexico.com

Periferico Norte, Photo from the wonderful photostream of David.Bank on Flickr.

Last night, a typical Friday quincena night (when everyone got paid), I  went to have some drinks with my women friends.  These are my friends of more than 20 years and we make the effort to get together and share – happiness, sadness and even some real disasters in our lives – as often as we can get together.

About midnight, fearful of the alcholometer I  figured it was time to call it a night, so I headed back to Satelite, via periferico the big highway to the northwest suburbs of Mexico City. BIG mistake. I knew the central lanes would be closed but I had no idea of the nightmare I would experience through the dark side streets. And one and a half hours later I finally arrived from Colonia Portales to mi pobre casa.

This new huge construction - the Viaducto Bicentenario – is supposed to go from Cuatros Caminos to the toll-booth at Tepotzotlan. Sounds great, right? But the first stage – scheduled to be finished by year-end is only 4.5 kilometers. If it is “viable” then they will continue it for another 17.5 kilometers which is the only way it will really make sense. Here’s a video that really shows off the new highway in all its glory.

In the meantime I need to make serious adjustments to the route I take home from the city. There are no real signs for this torturous drive behind the toreo – a bullring that hasn’t even been there for 10 years, very near to Tacuba in the NorthWest of the city. Frankly I was quite lost. People will tell you that the only way to navigate Mexico City is by experience, intuition and by feel.  When finally I knew where I was and could take a back road home, it was all I could do to sigh relief. But all for the good of another “Segunda Piso.”

Torres de Satelite

I must have missed something  in all the hype about this new second floor marvel. I didn’t even know that there is going to be a charge – a toll – until I saw the casetas – the toll booths - standing at the exit for Gustavo Baz. So how much is this going to cost? The construction has come to a stand still at the Torres de Satelite anyway because they cannot figure out how to bypass the monument.

Will it cost the same as the Interlomas highway? When we took our son to the Toluca airport, my husband said let’s take the toll road so we can avoid the Perferico. The highway was empty at 8pm because it is too expensive for every day commuters. TOTAL COST: 73 pesos! – to get off at Lomas Verdes. Fast yes. But who can afford to pay that every day?

I read an article stating that each kilometer will cost 1.20 pesos, which doesn’t sound like much. But the same article said they’ll need a electronic reader so you can travel at 70 kilometers per hour and that will cost 1,500 pesos per car. BUT, this was last year and I can’t find any more info. So if anyone can confirm, please leave a comment in the comments box below.

Anyway – to finish on a pleasant note – as a friend of mine said “Well maybe we cannot afford to drive on the second floor – but we can drive in the shade thanks to all the construction.”
[ad#june-post-ad]