The success experienced by the tourism industry in Puerto Escondido after the loosening of COVID-19 travel restrictions is only expected to continue its upward trend as the conclusion of two public infrastructure projects – the highway to Oaxaca and the renovation of the airport – draws closer.
Both projects were visited this week by the federal infrastructure minister during an inspection tour.
Jorge Nuño Lara reviewed progress in the construction of the new 18,000-square-meter terminal building, to be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and expected to be able to handle 3 million passengers per year.
The existing terminal building is also undergoing a renovation, intended to resolve the airport’s saturation issues in the short term.
New facilities at the air terminal also include the construction of two parking lots with capacity for more than 270 vehicles, a new wastewater treatment plant and a power substation.
Estamos trabajando para inaugurar a finales de noviembre la autopista Barranca Larga-Ventanilla en #Oaxaca. Esta obra impulsará el crecimiento económico y el bienestar social de las comunidades que se encuentran a lo largo de la carretera. 🚧👷👷🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/ayXjUYJRDz
— SICT México (@SICTmx) October 8, 2023
A new, functional terminal will allow to have an even larger number of users who travel through this area, mostly tourists, “which will translate into more productive investment, economic growth and, therefore, more and better jobs,” said Nuño.
The modernization of the airport represents an investment of more than 2.7 billion pesos (US $150 million) and, once concluded, will allow the terminal to receive more international flights, confirmed Nuño.
While the airport is still a work in progress and no official finish date has been given, President López Obrador has already determined that November 29 will be the day the highway to Oaxaca will be completed.
During his visit, the infrastructure minister stated that the Barranca Larga-Ventanilla highway – as it is officially known – will “boost the economic growth and social well-being of the region,” while reducing travel time from the state capital to the coast by three hours.
Nuño toured various points of the new highway, which has been built with an investment of 10.7 billion pesos (US$ 593.3 million) for the benefit of more than 116,000 residents.
Some of the sections he toured were the Gavilán, Cieneguilla and San Antonio junctions; the San Sebastián tunnel; the installation of embankment containment walls at km 150 and 149; the toll booth in Barranca Larga; and the km 117 viaduct.
The minister said the 180-meter-long viaduct was one of the most critical structures of the highway project.
The Puerto Escondido-Oaxaca highway has 2 lanes, 10 bridges, three tunnels, two viaducts, 15 junctions, two toll booths, 114 crossings and five emergency ramps.
Average daily traffic of 4,253 vehicles is estimated to be able to travel at speeds of between 90 and 110 km per hour. Construction has generated an estimated 1,800 direct and 3,500 indirect jobs.
With reports by El Imparcial
But they have not solved the sanitation and pollution of the ocean yet.