Active geological failures along the Tijuana Ensenada Scenic Road near kilometer markers 95.3 and 94.5 have prompted renewed scrutiny of the toll highway’s stability, even as a proposed 25-kilometer bypass project moves through environmental review. The road remains open, but the affected stretch sits in the Salsipuedes area, a zone that UNAM, Mexico’s National Autonomous University, has flagged for recurring landslide activity in peer-reviewed geological studies.
For anyone who drives between Tijuana, Rosarito, La Misión, and Ensenada, or who visits Valle de Guadalupe wineries on weekends, this is the only coastal toll route available. When it fails, there is no quick alternative.
The 2013 Collapse Closed the Road for Months
The Tijuana Ensenada Scenic Road, formally known as the Tijuana-Ensenada Escénica toll highway, runs roughly 100 kilometers along Baja California’s Pacific coastline. CAPUFE, the federal highway and bridge authority that operates Mexico’s toll roads, manages the route and its toll plazas.
The highway’s geological vulnerability is not theoretical. In December 2013, a major landslide near kilometer 93 collapsed a full section of the roadway. The failure shut down the Scenic Road for months, forcing thousands of daily commuters and commercial trucks onto the narrow, winding free road (Highway 1) through the hills. Repair costs ran into the hundreds of millions of pesos, and the closure caused significant economic losses for Ensenada businesses that depend on steady traffic from Tijuana and Southern California.
UNAM’s Institute of Geology published research through the Geological Society bulletin identifying the Salsipuedes corridor as one of the most landslide-prone zones in Baja California. The studies documented multiple active slide areas between kilometers 93 and 96, where a combination of marine terrace geology, steep coastal bluffs, poor drainage, and seismic activity creates persistent instability. The current problems at kilometers 95.3 and 94.5 fall squarely within that documented risk zone.
Smaller incidents have also disrupted the road repeatedly. Rockfalls during winter rains, shoulder erosion, and pavement cracking along the coastal bluffs have required periodic lane closures over the past decade. Each event reinforces the pattern that UNAM researchers warned about: the Salsipuedes section is structurally compromised and will continue to degrade.
A 25 Kilometer Bypass Project Is Under Environmental Review
The proposed bypass would create an inland route around the most vulnerable northern Ensenada coastal corridor. At 25 kilometers in length, the project is designed to give drivers a path that avoids the cliff-edge sections where landslides recur.
The bypass is currently undergoing environmental impact review, a required federal process administered by SEMARNAT, Mexico’s environment ministry. The review examines potential damage to ecosystems along the proposed route. Reports indicate the bypass corridor could affect coastal scrub habitat, a fragile ecosystem home to native plant species and wildlife.
Environmental groups have raised concerns about habitat loss. At the same time, business associations in Ensenada and the Valle de Guadalupe wine region have pushed for the bypass as essential infrastructure. Ensenada’s tourism economy depends on reliable road access from Tijuana, which serves as the gateway for visitors crossing from San Diego. Valle de Guadalupe alone draws an estimated 800,000 visitors per year to its wineries and restaurants, and nearly all of that traffic passes through the Scenic Road corridor.
The timeline for environmental approval remains unclear. SEMARNAT reviews of this scale can take months or longer, and the project would still need construction funding and right-of-way acquisition after approval. No construction start date has been announced.
Road Open but Drivers Should Check CAPUFE Updates Before Traveling
The Scenic Road is open to traffic as of this writing. Authorities are monitoring the active failure zones, but no lane closures or weight restrictions have been publicly announced for the affected kilometer markers.
Drivers should check road conditions before traveling, especially during rain or fog. CAPUFE operates a road assistance and information line at 074, reachable from any Mexican phone. The number provides real-time updates on closures, accidents, and construction delays across all federal toll roads. It is worth saving in your phone if you drive Baja’s toll highways regularly.
Practical tips for the Scenic Road: leave extra time for your trip, particularly on Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings when weekend traffic peaks. Fog can reduce visibility to near zero along the coastal bluffs between kilometers 80 and 100, especially from November through March. The road has limited shoulders in several sections, so pulling over is not always safe. Trucks use the route heavily, and passing lanes are few.
If the Scenic Road closes unexpectedly, the free road (Highway 1, also called the Libre) runs inland through Tecate or along older routes through the hills. The free road adds significant travel time, often 45 minutes to an hour or more depending on traffic and conditions.
The next milestone to watch is SEMARNAT’s decision on the bypass environmental review, which will determine whether the project advances toward construction. Reporting on the geological failures and bypass project was originally published by ZETA, a Tijuana-based investigative outlet.