500 miles of limited access highway (pesos, price, airport, license plate)

[PacoMartin]

In the 30 years from 1958 to 1988 Mexico built only 500 miles of limited access highway. Basically a 350 mile stretch from Irapuato-Córdoba and five shorter stretches around the country including TJ to Ensenada.

Opening date and distances in km.

México-Querétaro 1 November 1958 175.45
Querétaro-Irapuato 12 February 1962 104.75

México-Puebla 5 May 1962 110.91
Puebla-Acatzingo 29 May 1966 38.55
Acatzingo-Ciudad Mendoza 29 May 1966 95.60
Ciudad Mendoza-Córdoba 29 December 1969 39.30

Tijuana-Ensenada 25 April 1967 89.54

Guadalajara-Zapotlanejo 29 November 1969 26.00

La Pera-Cuautla 18 June 1965 34.17

Chapalilla-Compostela 17 August 1973 35.50

México-Tizayuca 11 November 1964 45.80

During the 6 year presidency of Carlos Salinas de Gortari another 2500 miles of limited access highway was built. However, Carlos Salinas seems to have elevated the embezzlement that nearly all Mexican Presidents have been guilty of to previously unimaginable levels.

For Americans, used to mostly free interstates, the Mexican highway tolls seem outrageous. Tijuana to Mexico city, a total of 2,758 km (1714 miles) takes 27:26 to drive, but the 34 tolls cost 3,059 MXN = $172.38 one way. For one or two people it is almost always cheaper to fly

Do you think someday Mexico will be more like the USA, or will USA become more like Mexico with regard to highway tolls.

[oceangaia]

Highways are expensive and must be paid for somehow, whether indirectly through taxes or directly through tolls.

I think toll roads are becoming more prevalent in the USA. And they are becoming cashless as toll tags become more common and more toll employ license plate scanners. This reduces a driver's awareness of paying a toll and driving on the toll road becomes indistinguishable from driving on a free road. This will make it easier to add or increase tolls.

[PacoMartin]

The PA turnpike is now $39.90 if you pay cash to drive the 359.6 miles of the main route (9.01 miles per dollar).
The NJ turnpike is now $13.85 if you pay cash to drive the 122.4 miles (8.84 miles per dollar).

The Mexican toll roads should be priced in pesos, since the pesos is relatively weak against the dollar. However, that makes it difficult to compare. It costs $172.38 to drive the 1714 miles from Tijuana to Mexico City (9.94 miles per USD).

Still Mexico has high tolls all over the country, while USA has comparably high tolls in the oldest highways in the country in the Northeast.

Originally Posted by oceangaia

This will make it easier to add or increase tolls.

Automation, remote sensing, and other modern devices will make it easier to collect tolls on anything. You will now be able to pay a toll on walking around in a city center. Soon you will pay an excessive breathing tax.

Self driving cars may speed up the trend to a new economy where more and more people opt not to purchase cars, but rely on paying by the ride.

[DMenscha]

I pay $72 MXP for the toll road that runs north of Cabo San Lucas to the airport in San Jose Del Cabo. Roughly $4 USD.

Bad news is one section of bridge fell down during TS Lidia last week.

Build it first, then engineer it.