State and federal authorities unveiled plans Wednesday for the new Elevated Baja California Superhighway of Tijuana, a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) elevated roadway designed to transform mobility in the city.
The project, dubbed “SubeT,” will run from the Morelos Junction to the Otay Port of Entry. It will feature 3 lanes in each direction, 12 access points, 11 exits, and a dedicated lane for public transportation.
Construction is expected to take 33 months and cost approximately $20.5 billion pesos.
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According to Anuar Tuñón Saab, Director of Promotion for the SubeT Consortium, the project is being financed entirely through at-risk private investment. Repayment will be covered by electronic toll collection using a TAG system.
Tuñón Saab explained that toll rates will be dynamic, based on the national average cost, with the goal of making the project self-sustaining over 30 years. Actual tolls will vary depending on the time of day, day of the week, driver demand, and entry and exit points.
Officials say the elevated roadway will benefit more than 70 neighborhoods, reduce commute times from 45 minutes to just 15 minutes, and ease traffic for over 100,000 vehicles that travel daily between the Morelos Junction and Otay.
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A Before and After for Tijuana Mobility
Speaking at the event, Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño said the project marks a turning point for the city’s transportation network.
He also thanked Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda for her commitment to improving residents’ quality of life through the “Respira” program, under which the project falls.
“This elevated superhighway will give back time and quality of life to thousands of Tijuana residents who lose valuable hours of their lives stuck in daily traffic. Time they would rather spend with their children, their parents, on studying, recreation, and rest,” he said.
The mayor added that the roadway will reshape Tijuana’s landscape, boost connectivity and competitiveness, and bring the region up to the standards expected of the world’s busiest border crossing.
A New Path From Above
Governor Marina del Pilar described the project as a way to unite, elevate, modernize, and connect the city.
“We are witnessing the start of a project that will change the identity and the very face of Tijuana and its metropolitan area,” she said.
Congressman Ramón Vázquez Valadez, who also attended the presentation, echoed those sentiments, calling the initiative a turning point in how thousands of Tijuana residents will travel for decades to come.
