The port of Lázaro Cárdenas will undergo a period of adjustments to its land connectivity. Two road projects promoted by the National Port System Administration (Asipona) aim to expand access capacity and reduce the overlap between heavy transport and urban traffic, but their implementation could also cause temporary disruptions to travel related to logistics activities and daily mobility in the city.
The situation is significant due to the role that land access routes play in the operation of Lázaro Cárdenas. Although the work is not taking place within the terminals and Asipona does not anticipate any interruptions to port operations, the interventions are being carried out on corridors linked to the entrance to the city and the port area , where private vehicles and cargo trucks converge.
Asipona reported that the projects are part of its 2025-2030 Public Works Investment Plan , which allocates 1.729 billion pesos to strengthen port logistics and transform urban mobility. Two strategic road infrastructure projects are currently underway.
The largest project involves the construction and expansion of the alternative road to the port area, the Lázaro Cárdenas Port Bypass , and the expansion of the SICARTSA Bridge , between Melchor Ocampo and Morelos avenues.
Work began on June 2nd and will continue until September 15th, 2027, with an investment of 214.8 million pesos . The project aims to increase the operational capacity and road safety of the port access, expedite cargo traffic, reduce travel times, and alleviate heavy vehicle congestion in the urban area.
To achieve this, the road will be widened from two to four lanes , including shoulders; the SICARTSA Bridge will be enlarged, and a central median will be constructed to improve traffic flow at intersections. The project also includes stormwater drainage infrastructure and LED street lighting.
In parallel, since July 21, the adaptation of road infrastructure in the access to the city , between Puentes Cuates and the Lázaro Cárdenas Junction, has been underway, with an investment of 68.5 million pesos and completion scheduled for April 30, 2027.
This second phase of the project will widen the road from two to three lanes in each direction , and replace an open-air canal with prefabricated concrete culverts. The project also includes U-turns, road signage, and new street lighting.
Together, the two projects represent approximately 283.4 million pesos and represent a transitional phase for the port’s land connectivity . The expected benefit is the availability of corridors with greater capacity once the works are completed; in the short term, however, the areas affected could become traffic bottlenecks.
Asipona itself asked citizens and transport operators to plan their travel times in advance , respect warning signs, and adhere to speed limits during the construction work. Furthermore, it announced that it will issue warnings and temporary detours as the work progresses.
This call is especially important for the logistics sector. Changes in traffic patterns or increased travel times at access points can impact the scheduling of vehicle arrivals, pickups, and deliveries , even if the terminals continue operating normally. The challenge will be to prevent construction projects designed to eliminate future bottlenecks from creating new traffic congestion at other points in the road network during their construction.
The potential impact is not limited to freight transport. Lázaro Cárdenas maintains a close relationship between city and port , so some of the infrastructure used by the logistics community is also part of the daily commutes of its residents. Any temporary modifications to these corridors could shift traffic to other roads and increase travel times.
Therefore, coordinating the work, traffic diversions, and communication with carriers and citizens will be just as important as the infrastructure being built. The transformation aims to address one of the consequences of port growth : ensuring that increased logistics activity can be absorbed by land access routes without shifting its costs, in the form of congestion and longer travel times, to the city.
The works thus begin a period that will last for much of 2027. In the short term, Lázaro Cárdenas will have to manage the possible impacts resulting from the interventions; in the long term, Asipona’s hope is that the expansion of the access roads will allow the port’s growth to find a more efficient land outlet with less interference on urban mobility.
The importance of the port of Lázaro Cárdenas to Mexico’s port system is reflected in the data. Of the 69.1 million tons handled by Pacific ports from January to July of this year, the port in Michoacán has handled 26.5% of the total, according to data from the Ports and Merchant Marine Unit (UPMM) of the Mexican Navy .
Likewise, in the activities of handling new vehicles for export and import, the country’s ports have handled just over 1.1 million units in the first seven months of this year, of which Lázaro Cárdenas moved 32.9% of them.
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