The El Pípila Underpass Inaugurated

The El Pípila Underpass Inaugurated

The project, which was supposed to have been ready by Nov. 11, was delivered 20 days late, on Dec. 1. The project, which the state government called the “magna work” of San Miguel de Allende, began Dec. 26 of last year, with an investment of 326 million pesos from the State Payroll Tax. Now accessory work will follow.

Over the timeline of the project due dates were extended, there was vehicular chaos, and the annoyance of drivers was constant, but the grief has ended. The state and local governments emphatically deny what some residents worry about—that the pass will flood in rainy weather. Officials say that water outlets in nearby neighborhoods will absorb rainfall there, such that only rainfall in the construction zone will flow in the underpass. The hydraulic system’s pipes are over one meter in diameter, and the three pumps can extract up to 350 liters of water per second.

“We are not impacting the visual [aspect],” Mayor Luis Alberto Villarreal commented during the inauguration ceremony that it is not an overpass. He indicated that complementary work will continue to ensure access to businesses in the area, as well as a sidewalk from the underpass bridge to Los Frailes, on both sides of the highway. Additionally, wiring and cable networks will be placed underground from the underpass to Ancha de San Antonio. He added that complementary work includes resurfacing from the Bicentennial Bridge to the intersection with the highway to Dolores Hidalgo. “There will be money from Urban Impact. We will reach the goal, in one year, with an investment of 1 billion 350 million pesos by the state, the municipality, and in some cases the beneficiaries.”

The project includes pedestrian crosswalks and traffic lights, which Mayor Villareal noted, “are not for you to go faster, they are to regulate traffic and give priority to pedestrians, [the same] as downtown, where ‘one at a time’[at intersections] is observed and pedestrians have priority.” It will have 80 cameras, plate and iris detectors, to determine if those passing through San Miguel have a criminal report, “It is for the peace of mind of the people,” said the mayor.

The governor of Guanajuato State, Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo, said in a message, “Today is a historic day for the municipality, this is a quality project of first world status, as it should be; it will be an icon over time, in quality and beauty. Congratulations. I am very proud to be the governor of this great state of Guanajuato.”

The head of the Department of Infrastructure, Connectivity and Mobility (SICOM), Tarcisio Rodríguez, pointed out that the underpass project is a benchmark for coordination and constant monitoring during its construction; there were 18 meetings with municipal and state authorities and representatives of the construction company to supervise progress. “Today we are very satisfied to deliver this work, completed with the efficient use of resources as befits San Miguel. We contributed to strengthening the municipality as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and consolidating Guanajuato as the Greatness of Mexico,” added Secretary Rodríguez.