The Bicentennial Viaduct is a raised highway designed to improve traffic along the north of the Metropolitan Area in Mexico Valley. It is designed in three stages, covering a total of 32 kilometers, and is currently operating a reversible first 22-km stage as well as the first km along the second unit foreseen in stage II, parallel to the operating viaduct.
It is built over the Mexico-Querétaro highway, along the corridor linking the northern part of the country to the United States of America. With 300,000 daily vehicles it is the route with the heaviest traffic in the entire country.
In order to affect daily traffic to the minimum and optimize execution time, a single night shift was used as well as large prefabricated concrete components.
Due to high seismic activity in the area, the viaduct columns are broader cross-wise. As a result, each column will act as an inverted pendulum in the event of an earthquake.
It is the first toll road operating within an urban area, and is also reversible, depending on peak traffic. To do this, it has a modern distance toll system with the latest technology, enabling smooth access to the viaduct at a speed of up to 60 kilometers per hour ( km/h), which is fully automated and controls entry and free-flow exit.
The raised viaduct was named after the Bicentennial given that it was inaugurated in 2010, the year when Mexico celebrated its two hundred years’ independence.
Benefits for society
- Citizen mobility and reduced polluting emissions
- Local employment
- Minimized environmental impact and contribution to sustainable development. lighting along the entire viaduct uses solar energy-saving lights