Mexicali’s public utilities commission CESPM is replacing 600 meters of storm drain pipe along Avenida Madero in the city’s historic Segunda Sección neighborhood, a project expected to reduce chronic flooding for roughly 2,800 residents.
The work stretches between Calles A and C and includes the construction of eight new inspection wells. CESPM is funding the entire project from its own budget at a cost of 7 million pesos (approximately $350,000 USD).
Construction Runs Through May
Crews began the pipe replacement and are expected to continue work through at least May 2026. Drivers and pedestrians using Avenida Madero in the Segunda Sección should expect lane closures and construction disruption for the duration.
The Segunda Sección sits in one of Mexicali’s oldest urban areas, where aging underground infrastructure has struggled to handle seasonal rains. Mexicali’s desert climate brings most of its rainfall in brief, intense summer storms. When those bursts overwhelm outdated pipes, streets in the dense city center flood quickly.
Part of a Broader Infrastructure Push
CESPM, the Comisión Estatal de Servicios Públicos de Mexicali, says the Avenida Madero project is part of a wider effort to modernize underground drainage, water, and sewer systems across the city. The agency has been investing in pipe replacement and well construction in several older neighborhoods where original infrastructure dates back decades.
Mexicali has roughly 100 miles of agricultural drains running through the city, according to the Sonoran Institute, which has partnered with local agencies on drainage improvement projects. Flood prevention in the urban core depends on both those open channels and the buried storm drain network that CESPM is now upgrading.
For anyone living near or commuting through central Mexicali, the key dates are clear: construction will occupy Avenida Madero between Calles A and C through at least the end of May. The eight new inspection wells will give CESPM maintenance crews better access to the upgraded system once the project wraps up.
This story was first reported by The Baja Post.