Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – With the Compostela-Las Varas section nearing completion, the Nayarit state government says it expects the new Guadalajara-Puerto Vallarta shortcut to be open in time for the upcoming Easter vacation period. This will significantly reduce travel times between major cities and tourist destinations.
The Compostela-Las Varas section, currently under construction, is expected to be completed by March 24th, marking the beginning of Holy Week. This 29-kilometer, four-lane section will cut travel time on federal highway 200 from two hours to just 25 minutes.
Images shared on the state government’s Facebook page depict ongoing construction of a substantial vehicular bridge spanning a ravine in the Sierra Nayarita region.
Governor Miguel Ángel Navarro Quintero credits the project’s advancement to the “security prevailing in our state” and President López Obrador’s national development plan. He emphasizes the upcoming inauguration of the 29-kilometer Compostela-Las Varas section.
“This road will be operational for the upcoming Easter holiday period, generating significant time savings for travel to tourist destinations like Nuevo Nayarit,” the governor stated. The Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT) confirms that this four-lane section will cut down the current two-hour journey on federal highway 200 to just 25 minutes.
Upon completion, the highway will facilitate a travel time of approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes between Guadalajara and Bahía de Banderas, including Puerto Vallarta. Similarly, the journey from Tepic, the capital of Nayarit, to this western region of the country will be reduced to just 1 hour and 10 minutes.
The Guadalajara-Puerto Vallarta highway project is divided into three stages. The first segment, Jala-Compostela, spanning 68 kilometers, has been operational since 2018.
The second section, Compostela-Las Varas, covering 29 kilometers, nears completion with expectations for opening before Holy Week.
The third and final segment, Las Varas-Bucerías, spanning 85 kilometers and connecting to the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, is currently under construction under the management of Promoting Development and Employment in Latin America (IDEAL), a Carso Group company.