Damage from “Sonia” Closes Super Highway for 36 Hours

by Maureen Dietrich on 6 Nov 13

mazmessenger.com

Large lines of waiting trailers and vehicles resulted when Capufe closed the highway at 4am Monday morning.

After being completely closed to traffic for 36 hours due to landslides and fallen debris caused by Tropical Storm Sonia, the Mazatlán-Durango highway was reopened to traffic yesterday at 4pm.

Large lines of waiting trailers and vehicles at the Concordia toll booth resulted when personnel from the Caminos y Puentes Federales (Capufe) closed the highway at 4am Monday morning. Heavy rain and strong winds left boulders, mud and debris on the newly inaugurated highway, in some areas damaging the concrete roadway.

Most affected was the section between kilometers 143 and 187, in particular kilometer 168 close to the El Sinaloense tunnel which is the longest tunnel of the super highway measuring three kilometers. Here, media reported, strong water currents washed away approximately 100 meters of asphalt.

Beginning yesterday morning workers using heavy machinery were on the scene removing tons of rock and earth from the asphalt on the road between Concordia, Sinaloa and Pueblo Nuevo, Durango.

Capufe personnel yesterday were advising drivers to use caution when travelling the highway and to be aware of areas of mud still on the road.

As of yesterday morning, federal police and Capufe personnel were continuing to monitor the super highway for potential obstructions.

 (from Noroeste)