Authorities and experts analyzed alternatives so that round-trip vehicle routes between the metropolitan area and this tourist site are reduced, and the traffic jam is no longer unbearable.
La Mesa de Los Santos is one of the most visited tourist sites by the inhabitants of the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, especially during weekends and holiday long weekends.
The large number of vehicles going up and down cause annoying traffic jams in several sections of these roads, which were too small for the mobility needs of tourists and residents of this area.
There are critical places such as the road that connects the La Punta tollbooth with the ‘El Bwey’ sector, where the route can last up to an hour.
Short-term alternatives
One of the proposals that the community has had for several years is to establish an up and down route towards the tourism sector.
Thus, establishing the ‘El Bwey’ intersection as an entrance access and the corridor between the La Punta tollbooth and the Curos area to descend and connect with the national highway.
According to the proposal, there would be two lanes for ascending and two for descending, which would save about 50% of travel time.
Also read: In La Mesa and Los Santos they demand works promised with toll collection
Faced with this possibility, Santander’s Infrastructure Secretary, Jessica Mendoza, was emphatic in stating that, although this possibility had already been raised in previous years, there is a technical argument that prevents its execution.
“Freight vehicles that constantly travel between Los Santos or La Mesa, towards the national highway, going up or down, can only do so through Curos. The road between Tres Esquinas and the La Punta tollbooth is not designed for vehicles weighing more than five tons. Technically, the proposal is not viable due to the capacity of the pavement,” said the official.
To speed up mobility in the ‘El Bwey’ sector, where the traffic coming down from La Mesa converges with that of the road towards San Gil, the mayor of Los Santos, Diego Mendoza, stated that, in the short term, a possible solution It may be that of the electronic regularization of mobility.
“Temporarily, a traffic light could be installed at ‘El Bwey’ and others on the national highway, so that mobility is fluid and the risk of traffic accidents at this intersection is minimized. The time in which the traffic light lasts green or red could be adapted to the needs of each day,” explained Mendoza Arenas.
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Another alternative that was explored for this crossing was the provision of uniformed personnel to speed up mobility, not only on holiday long weekends, but during all weekends.
Last year, this ‘contraflow’ test was implemented in which two lanes were given way for drivers descending from Mesa de Los Santos. Meanwhile, uniformed officers from the Transit and Transportation Section of the Bucaramanga Metropolitan Police temporarily detained the vehicles traveling in both directions on the road to Bogotá. The trip between El Peaje and Piedecuesta was reduced by about 20 minutes and went from 60 to 40 minutes.
Future solutions
Within the infrastructure project of the External Road Ring, the construction of the ‘El Bwey’ interchange is contemplated, a mega structure that will be located at the entrance of the Highway towards La Mesa de Los Santos and which is expected to be the solution against the traffic jams that occur at the crossing.
“The National Government asked us for three priority projects for Santander and among them we presented the proposal for the Interchange designs. However, the budget will not be enough to advance the execution of the work,” clarified the Secretary of Infrastructure of Santander, Jessica Mendoza.
See also: Investigative Unit Doubts and mistrust about the future of the toll in Mesa de Los Santos
On the other hand, the mayor of Los Santos, Diego Mendoza, said that, in the future, the construction of a third lane between Los Santos and El Peaje is being considered to speed up the routes, a responsibility that he would share with the Mayor’s Office of Piedecuesta and requesting the support of the Government of Santander.
Likewise, the Bucaramanga Chamber of Commerce is considering installing automatic charging booths, similar to those found in shopping centers and that are used to pay for parking. The installation of the devices is proposed in busy places such as the Peasant Market and other tourist attractions. Payment would be made with the license plate number or a photo of the vehicle.
It should be noted that during the first days of January 2025 the concession contract with Construvicol ends. However, residents of the area expect that the commitments with the roads will be fulfilled before the contractor delivers the toll.
