Tijuana’s water utility will shut down one lane on the ascending ramp at the Central Camionera bus terminal starting at 7 a.m. Thursday, May 7, to fix a leak in a 24-inch main water line. The Comisión Estatal de Servicios Públicos de Tijuana (CESPT) expects crews to finish the repair and reopen the lane by 11 p.m. the same day.
The closure affects the ramp near the CRIT Teletón rehabilitation center, a well-known landmark for drivers heading through the Zona Río area. CESPT said the repair will not interrupt drinking water service to surrounding neighborhoods.
Delays Expected on Already Congested Stretch
Drivers should plan for significant delays. One lane on the same stretch is already permanently blocked for construction of the elevated viaduct connecting Nodo Morelos with Otay. That ongoing highway project has narrowed traffic flow in the area for months, and the additional lane closure will squeeze it further during a 16-hour window.
Travelers heading to or from the Central Camionera, which handles intercity bus routes to destinations across Baja and mainland Mexico, should allow extra time on Thursday. The bus terminal sits along one of Tijuana’s busiest east-west corridors.
Part of a Busy Week for CESPT Repairs
The water main fix is one of several CESPT projects this week that point to growing strain on Tijuana’s aging infrastructure. On Wednesday, May 6, the utility began a separate water shutoff affecting 81 neighborhoods along Bulevar Díaz Ordaz, with CESPT recommending alternate routes through Guadalupe, Terrazas, and Melchor Ocampo streets. A service suspension in Playas de Tijuana is also underway.
These disruptions follow a pattern. In late April, CESPT carried out emergency repair work on the Acueducto de Flujo Inverso after a leak was detected in the PB7 pumping line. That outage cut water to nine neighborhoods in southeast Tijuana, 21 in Playas de Rosarito, and parts of Ensenada. In January 2024, a 54-inch water main failure disrupted service to roughly 632 neighborhoods across Tijuana and Rosarito before crews restored flow.
CESPT operates the water and wastewater systems for both Tijuana and Playas de Rosarito. The agency has acknowledged that many of its collection mains and water lines are aged and deteriorating. For Thursday’s repair, the utility asks drivers to use alternate routes where possible and expect stop-and-go conditions near the bus terminal throughout the day.
This story was first reported by Punto Norte.