Construction of a 12-kilometer elevated toll road connecting Otay to the Nodo Morelos interchange in Tijuana could begin within days, according to Semanario ZETA. The company behind the project, Supervía Bajacaliforniana Elevada de Tijuana S.A.P.I., is completing final municipal permits described as “very advanced.”
The project, officially called Vía Elevada Otay 1, will run along some of the city’s most congested corridors. Its route follows the boulevards Garita de Otay, Alberto Limón Padilla, and Lázaro Cárdenas before connecting to the Tijuana-Rosarito highway at the Nodo Morelos distributor, where the Carretera Transpeninsular meets the Periférico Libramiento Sur.
Travel Times Could Drop From 40 to 14 Minutes
The elevated roadway will feature 12 entry points and 11 exits, each with two lanes. Planners estimate the route will cut travel times from roughly 40 minutes to 14 minutes for drivers using the corridor. The structure will be built primarily from reinforced concrete and precast, prestressed concrete components.
Key access points include connections near the Río Tijuana zone, the Tijuana central bus station, and the Otay shopping center. About 400 people commute daily from Ensenada to Tijuana or San Diego using the Nodo Morelos interchange, according to data from Caminos y Puentes Federales.
A 30-Year Private Concession
Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda’s administration granted the 30-year concession to Supervía Bajacaliforniana Elevada de Tijuana in March 2025. The concession covers the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and commercial use of the toll road. The state published the formal necessity declaration in the Periódico Oficial de Baja California in December 2024.
The project is part of the state’s Programa Sectorial de Infraestructura 2022-2027. Officials have cited heavy truck traffic at the Otay I border crossing to Otay Mesa as a major factor driving the need for the elevated route. Despite 10 lanes for cargo vehicles at the crossing, daily congestion remains severe.
Gabriel Vizcaíno, president of the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC) in Tijuana, has publicly supported the project. However, at least one UABC (Universidad Autónoma de Baja California) academic has criticized the lack of clear signage information on the ascending ramp of Boulevard Lázaro Cárdenas, part of the project corridor.
Drivers who use the Otay, 5 y 10, and Lázaro Cárdenas corridors should expect construction-related disruptions once work begins. No official start date or construction timeline has been announced. The report was first published by Semanario ZETA on March 28, 2026.