The unprecedented level of new development, currently under way along the north shore of Banderas Bay, will be supported by the strategic location of the Bucerias/La Cruz Interchange.
Officially named Entronques (Interchanges) Bucerias I and Bucerias II, they form the first access point to Banderas Bay for travelers of the new Autopista Jala-Puerto Vallarta, a long-awaited extension of the toll road from Guadalajara. It will also serve as access to an expressway to and from the Puerto Vallarta airport, bypassing the urban centers of Bucerias, Mezcales, and numerous other communities along the way, vastly reducing “cross-town” traffic along our coastal urban corridor.
A study of the tender documents issued by the Secretaria de Communicaciones y Transportes (SCT) provides the basis of this article. It is supplemented by numerous Sunday drive-abouts over the last couple of years, and much time at the computer using various mapping apps.
The completion of the long awaited toll road or autopista is imminent. But first, some history. The Jala-Puerto Vallarta “Via Corta” or short route consists of three phases:
Phase One is the Jala -Compostela segment, which extends west from its entry point at Jala to a junction south of Compostela, where it does a 90-degree beeline, north to said city. This section of the highway has been in operation since early 2018, although it has been plagued by several road-closures due to landslides, particularly during the rainy season.
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