Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jbte]

I made a small roadtrip to the beach city of Mazatlán, these pictures are from Mazatlán going back to home, to Durango. Excuse my poor pictures quality (all took by cellphone) and bad road conditions... This freeway its one of my favorite freeways of all time, due it impressive natural landscapes (tropical, pine forest, desert) and engineer marvel over 60 tunnels and more than 100 bridges...

Here the map route:










Here the first tunnel:






The road continues going uphill in over 30 miles with continuos bridges and tunnels past 8,800 fts from sea level




















This is the longest tunnel in route, spans 9183 fts long (1.7 miles)...


























Welcome to Durango state:


























Near this point is the tallest point (or mountain pass) which goes near 9,000 fts height, this place its alot different than in beach, even last month snowed, temperatura can drop to 0° F in winter time.

Here the image from last month snow in the same route... this road gets closed sometimes during winter time due snowfalls.


The most expensive tollbooth in route (245 $), but fortunately for me it was closed due it was taken by communals (farmers in the area) but later i found out that wasn't it all...


Less than a mile from tollbooth... something unexpected happened (you know its Mexico  ) a roadblock!
Well, are communals protesting to the government of the payment of their lands that was taken off during the construction of this highway... so they block entire highway in both directions you must stop there for an hour, go to the church, eat something then proceed... even the federal police there is trying to convice the communal leader to let pass through highway...


Anyway, 1 hour later... I could proceed in my route...
























Welcome to Durango city:


And finally arrived to my desert landscape! 


Sorry for long post and many pictures, hope you enjoyed the pictures...

[vdeane]

Is there a reason why some sections of shoulder are dashed and some solid?

[Jbte]

Is there a reason why some sections of shoulder are dashed and some solid?

Dashed shoulders are for "allow passing", where the slower driver must pull to the extreme right for allow to pass (also the incoming traffic), works like a 3 lane highway. And solid one are not allow to pass.

[The High Plains Traveler]

Is there a reason why some sections of shoulder are dashed and some solid?

Dashed shoulders are for "allow passing", where the slower driver must pull to the extreme right for allow to pass (also the incoming traffic), works like a 3 lane highway. And solid one are not allow to pass.

I loved it. Trying to match my limited Spanish to the warning signs, I learned that in Spanish, headlights are truly burned (encienda). All bridges seemed to be named, was Puente (bridge) km 180 + 190 located 190 meters after the km 180 mark? 

[Jbte]

Is there a reason why some sections of shoulder are dashed and some solid?

Dashed shoulders are for "allow passing", where the slower driver must pull to the extreme right for allow to pass (also the incoming traffic), works like a 3 lane highway. And solid one are not allow to pass.

I loved it. Trying to match my limited Spanish to the warning signs, I learned that in Spanish, headlights are truly burned (encienda). All bridges seemed to be named, was Puente (bridge) km 180 + 190 located 190 meters after the km 180 mark? 

That's right, that bridge is located at Km 180 + 190 meters. Many warning signs are useless in Mexico, some are but most not.

[leroys73]

That was awesome.  Your pictures were so sharp.  Great work.

[US 41]

I've finally saved up enough money now to go. Now I just have to find the time. Maybe later this summer I'll be able to.

[Tom958]

Wow, very nice! Thanks for posting!

I work with Mexicans, and it's disheartening that most of them don't know that their nation has built this amazing highway.

Well, are communals protesting to the government of the payment of their lands that was taken off during the construction of this highway... so they block entire highway in both directions you must stop there for an hour, go to the church, eat something then proceed... even the federal police there is trying to convince the communal leader to let pass through highway...

How very civilized. I hope they get justice.

[KG909]

Que buena carretera. Que pena que no puedo ir a México.

[US 41]

Wow, very nice! Thanks for posting!

I work with Mexicans, and it's disheartening that most of them don't know that their nation has built this amazing highway.

Well, are communals protesting to the government of the payment of their lands that was taken off during the construction of this highway... so they block entire highway in both directions you must stop there for an hour, go to the church, eat something then proceed... even the federal police there is trying to convince the communal leader to let pass through highway...

How very civilized. I hope they get justice.

Yes, but they shouldn't be able to block off an entire highway, especially one that people pay a lot of money (around $35) to use. The police should have told them to clear off the road or else.

[corco]

Wow, very nice! Thanks for posting!

I work with Mexicans, and it's disheartening that most of them don't know that their nation has built this amazing highway.

Well, are communals protesting to the government of the payment of their lands that was taken off during the construction of this highway... so they block entire highway in both directions you must stop there for an hour, go to the church, eat something then proceed... even the federal police there is trying to convince the communal leader to let pass through highway...

How very civilized. I hope they get justice.

Yes, but they shouldn't be able to block off an entire highway, especially one that people pay a lot of money (around $35) to use. The police should have told them to clear off the road or else.

The federales already have their hands full with the cartels setting up roadblocks and actually harming people- a benign, though inconvenient roadblock is...probably something that in an ideal world they would shut down, but they don't likely have the resources to do more than put the one cop there to make sure they aren't physically harming people.

[hm insulators]

Great quality pictures! I'll have to have a neighbor, originally from Nogales, Sonora, check these out at some point.