Spotlight: 3 mobility projects in Mexico’s Jalisco state

Mexico’s Jalisco state is about to wrap up two Guadalajara city transportation projects, totaling almost US$2bn, as construction start for a third project is pending approval.

The US$470mn Mi Macro Periférico BRT system is almost done and the US$1.4bn line No. 3 of Guadalajara’s light rail system should be opened this year. Construction for the light rail system’s line No. 4 has not been approved yet.

The railways are being financed by the federal government and supervised by the communications and transportations ministry (SCT), while the BRT system is being financed and built by Jalisco’s infrastructure and public works ministry (SIOP). 

BNamericas takes a look at how these projects have progressed. 

Guadalajara light rail No. 3

The most advanced transportation project the state carried out in recent years also required the most investment and the longest construction period.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) will cut the ribbon next week, the state government said in a statement on September 2. And communications and transportations undersecretary Carlos Morán Moguel told daily El Economista that inauguration is scheduled for September 12. 

Morán Moguel said total investment was 31.2bn pesos, much more than the 17.7bn pesos estimated at construction start in 2014.

Completion was planned for 2017 already while AMLO said in January operations would start by April. 

The 21.5km line has 16 regular stations – 13 elevated and five underground – and two terminals connecting the municipalities of Zapopan, Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque. Travel time from start to end is 33 minutes and 18 three-car trains will move about 233,000 passengers a day.

Works ended in December while Jalisco’s rail operator Siteur is testing the line already, according to Mexico’s second government report.

When AMLO took office at end-2018 overall progress had passed the 90% mark, but he still promised more federal resources. 

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Among the biggest challenges was building a 28.1km tunnel underneath Guadalajara’s historic center.

Also, in late 2018 it was revealed that the neoprene elastomeric-bearing pads that limit the transmission of structure-borne vibration between the route's columns and beams were defective and had to be replaced. These works took several months.

Mi Macro Periférico

The second most advanced mobility project in the state is the 41.4km Mi Macro Periférico BRT system that will run along the 60km Manuel Gómez Morín beltway.

Works entered the third and last stage in May, according to SIOP, but a progress update has not been provided in months. The BRT system is being fully financed and supervised by Jalisco’s authorities. 

The ministry has sped up efforts in the last two months to tender its 48 stations, in addition to other complementary works. 

So far, SIOP has awarded the construction of 12 stations, launched tenders for another eight and is preparing to launch the remaining 28 this year, public records on government procurement site Compranet show. 

ALSO READ: Spotlight: Mexico's ongoing BRT projects

On September 3, the ministry will award 16 contracts to build eight stations for the BRT system and their respective eight access bridges. 

Bidding for each contract was restricted to three companies upon invitation from the ministry.

This set of tenders follows the other 12 contracts for the 12 stations SIOP awarded on August 27. 

The first set of 12 stations were tendered in public contests and the ministry received up to 30 proposals per contract. 

Awarded contracts range from 30-40mn pesos and include local companies such as Megaobras, Montaje en Obra Petrova, Basalto Zacoalco and Tekton Grupo Empresarial, among others. 

The awarded 12 stations, which should be completed by November 28, are Calzada Independencia, Federalismo, Tabachines, Cucea, Pino, Suárez, Tuzanía, Vallarta, Mariano Ortero, Iteso, 8 de julio, Adolf Horn, and Juan de la Barrera.

The soon-to-be awarded eight stations, for which construction starts this month, are Acueducto, 5 de Mayo, Ciudad Judicial, Tepeyac, Guadalupe LNN, Tutelar, Concentro and Santa Margarita. 

Each of the 28 stations left to be awarded will cost about 35mn pesos, so the government would invest 1.7bn pesos.  

Mi Macro Periférico or Peribús will connect the municipalities of Zapopan, Guadalajara, Tonalá and Tlaquepaque and enable a link between light rail line No. 3 and line No. 1.

Guadalajara light rail No. 4

The government is also working on the final studies to begin the city’s fourth light rail line. It should be completed before governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez and AMLO leave their offices in 2024. 

The president mentioned the project’s studies in the second government report but did not add any details nor a possible construction date. 

SIOP signed on July 17 a collaboration agreement with SCT and railway company Ferromex for the 20km line. Ferromex will give away its right-of-way for the project and assist in supervision, Jalisco’s government said in a statement.

It would connect Guadalajara with Tlajomulco municipality and run parallel to an existing line concessioned to Ferromex, SIOP said. 

And it would connect with the Peribús BRT system by linking the Fray Angélico station in Tlaquepaque with Tlajomulco de Zúñiga municipality. 

According to officials, the line could require 10 new stations.

The project was added to the finance ministry's (SHCP) investment portfolio last year and it allocated 150mn pesos to carry out 10 pre-investment studies.

State authorities have already conducted the traffic and demand studies.

The pre-investment studies will provide information to determine the expected capacity and the infrastructure needed, and help determine technical feasibility.

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