Manzanillo Strengthens Its Urban Infrastructure

The development of the Port of Manzanillo is expected to expand from 450 to 1,800 hectares, accompanied by urban planning measures to prevent the city’s transportation system from becoming overwhelmed, said Jorge Padilla, Colima’s undersecretary of tourism, in an interview.

“The biggest challenge facing Manzanillo, a historic city and port, is transportation; the lack of adequate transportation affects all sectors, including logistics, teachers who commute to and from work, and the tourism sector directly.”

“It’s important not to wait for the port to be built, but to prepare everything in advance with road junctions and a bypass that expands from two to four lanes—precisely to accommodate future growth and ensure that mobility isn’t compromised,” he said, referring to the state’s main highway, which connects to the port and is expected to be completed in time for this year’s December holiday season.

The Port of Manzanillo “is a source of pride for us, but then we were left with only the challenges associated with this growth, such as traffic and potholes.” As a result, the Colima state government reached an agreement with the National Port System Administration (Asipona) in Manzanillo to ensure that the port’s revenues remain in Colima and are allocated to social infrastructure and public safety.

Road construction projects have impacted the state’s tourism sector, “but fortunately, this is linked to improved connectivity. With this expansion set to be completed in December, we’re going to wrap up a very important year. We’re preparing some surprises specifically to mark the reopening.”

In addition, the state now has two new air routes: the AIFA-Manzanillo flight operated by Viva Aerobús, which has operated at 80% capacity during its first two months, and the Tijuana-Manzanillo flight with an express stopover at AIFA, which will operate from December through January to serve the holiday season. “Given the strong numbers we generated this summer, Viva Aerobús will test the route during the holiday season. That’s a very promising start for an airline that had never flown to Manzanillo or Colima in general.”