Road closures

[TraceyUk]

My husbands office had a messgae sent from the Department of transport stating the road from Cancun to Puerto Morelos will be closed on Monday- the alternative to go inland to L. Vicario and then down the the ruta de cenotes- bringing you out on ther highway past P. Morelos. This adds about an hour to the journey.
Has anyone else heard this.?
Its due to the COP16 which starts Monday.
Tracey

[ToriB]

I did not hear that, but I work in the HZ, and we were instucted this weekend that cars, and now buses will be checked coming into the HZ...everyone must have identification as to why you are in the HZ... and you are not allowed to carry large bags (which I need to do for work), no sunglasses or hats can be worn. Not sure if that is just while they are searching the vehicles or during the entire transit. This summit from the get go was put out there that no interruptions will be caused in the Hotel Zone, but that is all that has been happening the last week and it will be even worse for the next 12 days. IT'S GONNA SUCK TO BE IN CANCUN!!!!!!!

[Kris in Cancun]

So, if you are not working in the hotel zone, you won't be allowed in this week? I have a hair appointment on Wednesday IN THE HOTEL ZONE!!!! Please tell me I will get in without any problems!!!?????!!!??? Anyone, Anyone???

[JohnB]

I've heard that the conference at Moon Palace will wreak havoc on transport between PM and Cancun this week. I have no official sources to point people to, but I'm just passing along my info.

[Jim in Cancun]

According to Por Esto! | Yucatán
just one south bound lane was closed. My guess is that this will possibly continue but I can't imagine them closing the road completely.
It also mentions other possible points of slowdowns along the road to the airport. Supposedly they will also be stopping people entering the hotel zone to check ID's and reason for entering. Again, can't imagine them stopping every car/bus and checking every ID but then "they" continue to amaze. I will be heading there in a bit and will report later. Plan on slow traffic.

[Life_N_Cancun]

If the people in charge have any brains they'll just close one side of the hotel zone road (when needed) and make the other side 2 ways and all diplomats can travel on the "private side", and likewise with 307 just close the South bound side and make the north bound a two-way road around the convention center... I went to Playa on Friday and spotted about 7 checkpoints so basically if you can avoid traveling it's best... I'll also point out how funny it was to spot the ONE wind turbine they setup at the CFE plant outside of town as, you know to show how "green" Mexico is with there ONE turbine which I guess is powering all of Cancun now, LOL...

[Jim in Cancun]

As an update, there was no slowdown at 6:40 a.m. and I don't expect any in the hotel zone. There are a couple of places with cones in the middle of the road and soldiers on the sidelines with uzis but both lanes are open and they are not stopping anyone.

[TraceyUk]

I have travelled back and forth to the hotel zone today with no problem - in fact its really quiet.

[ToriB]

Same here. We all went to work an hour early for nothing. But my boyfriend had to go down to the riviera maya this morning and he said it took them more then an hour and a half to get from downtown to before mayan palace.

[CancunCanuck]

I think most of the issues are going to be on the highway now. A friend is at the COP 16 event right now, she reported that all lanes were closed, the only vehicles allowed were the "official" buses for the conference.

[Jim in Cancun]

I just came out Lopez Portillo heading for Leona Vicario and saw several employee transport buses heading out that way! They are going out that way and then taking the loooong way around to Puerto Morelos by the Ruta de Cenotes. And I have a 9:30 a.m. meeting tomorrow in the Riviera Maya!

[Life_N_Cancun]

Yeah lets just completely close down the main thoroughfare to and from Cancun for 13 days... O' and the hotel zone too...

Gotta love it! ViVa Mexico!

[matkirk]

I'd still rather be here though with bizarre road closures and drivers that have no idea how to drive than fighting my way to work on the North Circular in the wind, rain and snow...

[Jim in Cancun]

and when is the night marathon???????????

[TraceyUk]

Marathon is delayed 2 weeks

[CancunCanuck]

I was told that one of the reasons Cancun was chosen for the summit was its ability to completely shut down access to the area to maintain security and tight controls of who gets in and out.

[Life_N_Cancun]

yeah.. never mind the hundreds of thousands of people who need to get to work, or the tourists.... I understand that they don't want any violence but it seems like they didn't really plan things out very well... completely shutting down the main road into and out of a big city for extended periods shouldn't even be an option. It's not like a US city where there are numerous alternates to take... never mind its a divided highway that could allow for one side to be closed while the other accommodates the traffic... I assume they must be allowing traffic to go every once and a while, but even so this is really an example of poor planning IMHO...

[Jim in Cancun]

And that is a two-edged sword. Not only the police but demonstrators, natural disastors and worse can also shut things down easily.

[Alma Libre]

I drove to CUN and back Monday from Puerto Morelos.

They had the northbound lane split for two-way traffic which made it slow for northbound traffic, but southbound was backed up all the way back beyond the airport turnoff. The southbound lane was used as two-way traffic for the conference.

On the way back south at 4:00pm or so, we were pleasantly surprised to see the road was back to normal, only minor slow-downs with a couple of check points.

Could it be they will only delay traffic in the mornings?

Other note, I saw exactly one protester with one sign at Cancunmesse and a group of young girls cheering for a vegan lifestyle.

Meanwhile, they have shut down the port here in Puerto Morelos which pretty much destroys the fishing/snorkeling business here. They are negotiating with the government to allow business in restricted zones.

[matkirk]

So far they seem to be doing a good job minimizing any problems, all the guys in my office from Playa are getting to work on time, with no bother, and I pass the HZ each morning without any problems, lets see how the week progresses, but so far (from what I know) things seem to be going pretty smoothly.

[Life_N_Cancun]

I guess it's luck of the draw... I read in the paper this morning about 4 hour travel times from Playa to the airport yesterday... reportedly anyway... or maybe that was just the first day and now someone with a brain is in charge...

[Gringation]

I asked a lady at the office who lives in Playa if she had trouble getting to Cancun in the mornings. She told me that from Playa to Cancun was perfectly fine, but from Cancun to Playa was 3.5 hours :S

This is between 8 and 9 am.

[Jim in Cancun]

I left the middle of the Cancun hotel zone about 8:25 and got to the Tres Rios hotel for a meeting at about 9:15. No problems or slowdowns at all and the way back was the same. No problems

[violet0905]

i am working at COP and it really takes just 30 minutes to get there from Plaza las Americas...it s not slow and it certainly aint closed ,it was just yesterday and I do believe it had to do with Presidential security....some of the people getting to COP yesterday said it took them 1 1/2 hrs to get to Cancunmesse from the airport but after that one bit ,traffic is very smooth ,lots of security but it is not really a problem...

[Alma Libre]

Just did an airport run and there were no issues in either direction.

There is a persistent rumour about a protest on the highway december 7.