The first, 54-kilometer section of the new Guadalajara-Puerto Vallarta “Via Corta” (Short Route) toll road opened at the start of the Easter holidays.
The four-lane stretch of pristine highway runs between the federal Guadalajara-Tepic toll road at Jala to Compostela.
The second 31-kilometer section, from Compostela to the coastal town of Las Varas, is set to open in December or early 2018, according to the Communications and Transportation Secretariat (SCT)
Work on the final 81-kilometer stretch of the Via Corta, from Las Varas to Bucerias, will begin once environmental studies have been completed and the requisite permits obtained, the SCT says.
When finished, the driving time from Guadalajara to Vallarta will be reduced by between 60 and 90 minutes to just three hours, the SCT estimates.
Puerto Vallarta is Mexico’s second most popular vacation destination behind Cancun, attracting more than four million visitors a year.