KVIA reports from Mexico on Super Highway from Juarez to Coast & impacts on borderland exports & tourism
GUAYMAS, SONORA (MEXICO) - During Mexico President Claudia Scheinbaum's recent visits to our borderland, she talked about a multi-million dollar highway expansion that'll better connect El Paso/Ciudad Juarez to Mexico's Pacific Coast & the Port of Guaymas, Sonora.
In another edition of "People, Places & Paul", ABC-7 anchor Paul Cicala reports from Guaymas, Sonora and talks about how the project will help strengthen infrastructure between the Sea of Cortez, all the way to our border, thus enabling better export opportunities through Juarez and El Paso.
In addition, the expanded highway will provide people from our borderland a faster route to the beautiful beaches of Mexico's Pacific Coast.
Scores of tourists vist the beaches of San Carlos, in the municipality of Guaymas, Sonora, every year.
That list also includes many from our border region of El Paso & Ciudad Juarez, as residents of our area are getting excited about better access to the tourism hot spot.
Wendy Burton Corrales lived in El Paso for many years, and is thrilled there'll be a quicker route for borderland friends and family to the Mexican Pacific Coast in Sonora.
"To still be living there in El Paso, working with my family, and still be able to travel to beautiful San Carlos. It's like a dream come true," Burton Corrales told ABC-7's Paul Cicala as she sat with family members along the beaches of Sonora, Mexico.
The new Super Highway that Mexico President Claudia Scheinbaum has proposted is also getting many in the tourism industry very excited.
Ariel Gaspar, the Director of the Beach Community La Posada de San Carlos, said "People can enjoy more of Sonora, especially since the state of Chihuahua borders this Mexican coast."
Gaspar adds that he's excited it'll be much easier for visitors from El Paso, Juarez and Chihuahua City (who already drive to Sonora's beaches), to take advantage of visitng the region's resorts, or taking boat tours, which usually include views of Dolphins, and amazing Ocean Wildlife.
In addition, it'll be easier for hikers to make it to San Carlos to trek up the famous mountain "Tetakawi", which overlooks the Bay.
It currently takes about 15 hours to drive to the Guaymas port from our borderland, and the new, expanded Highway would cut as much as five hours off of that trip.
"The new, (multi-million dollar highway) will also be safer for people driving, with better supervision," said Gaspar.
Guaymas, Sonora has historically been known for its port that receives ships with goods exported from Asia and other parts of the world to Mexico. Now, with the super highway, it'll be that much easier to get those imports all the way to Ciudad Juarez, and eventually passing into the United States and El Paso.
"The more infrastructure the better," said Jon Barela, CEO of the Borderplex Alliance in El Paso, who also says he was excited after hearing Mexico President Claudia Scheinbaum's announcement.
Barela added, "The port of Guaymas is a tremendous potential for us, certainly indirectly from getting and reducing traffic heading from probably Asia to our area, and conversely, shipping our products for export," --which potentially could have an economic impact in our region of tens of millions of dollars.
It would also help cut down transportation costs: "It just might have an effect on reducing the impact of the tariffs as well for an American consumer," said Barela.
Also, the multi-million dollar highway will allow more tourists from other parts of Mexico to visit Juarez and El Paso.
"The old saying of time is money is absolutely true," said Barela.
Whether it be saving time through arrivals from the Pacific Coast to Juarez and El Paso, or, the chance to easily visit the beaches of Guaymas, Sonora, President Scheinbaum's announcement at the border has already sparked excitement from of people with ties to El Paso.
"No hassle. I absolutely love it," added Burton Corrales.
Jon Barela, from the Borderplex Alliance of El Paso, also told ABC-7 anchor Paul Cicala that it's estimated that for every one minute of delay on roads and ports of entry, it equates to one million dollars of lost revenue for the U.S. economy, so, a more efficient highway carrying imports and exports, will only strengthen our borderland financially.
ABC-7's Paul Cicala periodically does a segment on KVIA called "People, Places & Paul" that showcases interesting characters of El Paso, including diverse places in the borderland, along with the movers-and-shakers of our region, including Ciudad Juarez, & other parts of the USA & Mexico. To see more of his stories, you can click this link.
