La Paz broke ground on the first phase of a new drainage network designed to prevent the kind of catastrophic flooding that has repeatedly paralyzed the city during hurricane season. The project, announced by Mayor Rubén Muñoz on June 17, will install 1.2 kilometers of underground storm drains along Calle Jalisco, one of the city’s most flood-prone corridors.
Repeated Flooding Has Cost La Paz Millions Since Hurricane Odile
La Paz sits in a low desert basin on the Sea of Cortez, where annual rainfall averages just 180 millimeters. But when tropical storms hit southern Baja California Sur, that rain falls in concentrated bursts. The city’s streets, most of which lack any formal drainage infrastructure, turn into rivers within minutes.
Hurricane Odile in September 2014 exposed the problem at a devastating scale. That Category 3 storm dumped more than 250 millimeters of rain on La Paz in 24 hours, flooding neighborhoods across the city. Damage estimates for Baja California Sur exceeded 15 billion pesos (roughly $880 million USD at the time). Since then, tropical storms Lidia in 2017, Lorena in 2019, and Kay in 2022 each caused significant urban flooding in La Paz.
The root cause has remained the same for decades: La Paz never built a comprehensive storm drainage system. Most colonias rely on surface runoff that flows downhill through streets toward the malecón and the bay. When volumes exceed what the streets can carry, water pools in low-lying areas for hours or even days. Calle Jalisco, which runs through a commercial district in the city center, has been one of the worst-affected corridors.
Previous municipal administrations proposed drainage solutions but struggled to secure federal funding. SEDATU, Mexico’s federal urban development ministry, approved financing for this project in coordination with the state government of Baja California Sur. Mayor Muñoz said the total investment for this first phase is 48 million pesos (approximately $2.8 million USD).
1.2 Kilometers of Underground Drains Along Calle Jalisco
The first stage covers a 1.2-kilometer stretch of Calle Jalisco from its intersection with Boulevard Forjadores to Calle Ignacio Allende near the city center. Workers will install reinforced concrete box culverts beneath the street surface, designed to channel rainwater underground and discharge it into the bay through controlled outflows.
Construction will require partial street closures along Calle Jalisco for an estimated four to five months. The mayor’s office said traffic detours will be posted, though specific alternate routes have not yet been announced. Drivers who use Calle Jalisco to access downtown La Paz from the southern colonias should expect delays through the fall.
The project also includes repaving the street surface above the new drains and installing new catch basins at intersections. Municipal officials said the system is engineered to handle rainfall rates of up to 75 millimeters per hour, which would cover most tropical storm scenarios short of a direct hurricane hit.
Four Additional Phases Planned Through 2027
City officials described the Calle Jalisco work as stage one of a five-phase drainage master plan for central La Paz. Future phases are expected to extend the underground network along Boulevard 5 de Febrero, Calle Nicolás Bravo, and Calle Aquiles Serdán. Those corridors also flood regularly during storms.
The full plan carries an estimated price tag of 320 million pesos (about $18.8 million USD), though funding for phases two through five has not been secured. Mayor Muñoz said the city will seek continued federal support and is exploring a public-private partnership model for later stages.
Residents and business owners along Calle Jalisco have voiced support for the project but also concern about construction timing. Hurricane season in the eastern Pacific runs from May 15 through November 30, with peak activity between August and October. If the work extends into late September or October, partially completed drains and open trenches could worsen flooding rather than prevent it.
The municipal government said it is prioritizing a fast construction schedule to minimize that risk. The contractor, a Baja California Sur firm called Constructora del Pacífico, has committed to completing the underground culvert installation by mid-October, with surface restoration continuing into November.
La Paz’s next scheduled public update on the project is set for mid-July, when the city plans to release the detailed traffic detour plan. This story was first reported by El Sudcaliforniano.