Manzanillo Is Plagued by Traffic Chaos.

The export sector in western Mexico has called on the federal government to immediately resolve the infrastructure problems that have affected access to the Port of Manzanillo, noting that there are days when truckers face delays of up to seven hours due to expansion work on the new Colima-Manzanillo highway.

Miguel Ángel Landeros, president of the Western Regional Branch of the Mexican Foreign Trade Council (COMCE), has pointed out that infrastructure problems, compounded by a shortage of personnel, container backlogs, and other difficulties, have impacted the port in recent months.

According to the Colima state government, the company Pinfra will be responsible for modernizing and widening the Colima-Manzanillo highway from four to six lanes along a 47-kilometer stretch between Manzanillo and the Armería interchange. The expansion includes the 12 bridges used for freight traffic, including those spanning the Armería and Tepalcates rivers.

Landeras Volquarts pointed out that construction progress is causing irregular operations along the main logistics corridor on the Mexican Pacific coast, as traffic may flow normally on some days, while on others, freight vehicles often face wait times of five to seven hours.

The president of COMCE Occidente believes that action is needed from all three levels of government—primarily the federal government—due to the port’s strategic importance.

“Today, Manzanillo is not only the number one seaport, but also the port that generates the most revenue in the country; that is why it is so important that the federal government, in particular, provide the port with the resources it needs,” he emphasized.

The businessman has warned that there will be major complications in the construction of three of the bridges in the Manzanillo metropolitan area, where he points out that there is insufficient planning to prevent traffic gridlock.

Landeros Volquarts has insisted that before proposing projects such as Manzanillo II, the federal government should first resolve current problems, such as the shortage of staff at the port and customs.