Ensenada’s Municipal Public Safety Directorate (DSPM) will close several streets in the city’s tourist district starting at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29, to accommodate the NORRA 1000 off-road rally race. The closures will affect the area around the malecón and the Coastal Boulevard (Bulevar Costero), one of the most heavily trafficked corridors for residents and visitors alike.
DSPM chief Alejandro Monreal Noriega announced the closures on April 28. Calle Rotario, between Primera Street and the Bulevar Costero, will be restricted to vehicle traffic for the installation of race infrastructure and mechanical inspections of competing vehicles. Additional rolling closures and traffic control measures are expected in surrounding blocks throughout the day.
Race Start Set for May 2 at Rancho Nelson
The NORRA 1000 race itself will begin on Saturday, May 2, at Rancho Nelson, located east of Ensenada along the highway toward Ojos Negros. Motorcycles will depart at 6:00 a.m., followed by four-wheeled vehicles at 8:00 a.m. The event draws international competitors to Baja California each year for a multi-day rally covering hundreds of miles of desert terrain down the peninsula.
NORRA, the National Off-Road Racing Association, organizes the annual event as a tribute to the original Mexican 1000 rally first held in 1967. Teams base themselves in Ensenada for the duration of the event, booking their own hotel accommodations in the city and nearby San Quintín.
What Drivers and Pedestrians Should Know
The DSPM is urging residents and visitors to plan alternate routes, especially anyone who normally drives through the malecón or Bulevar Costero area. The closures on April 29 are for staging and vehicle inspections only, not the race itself, but they will block key roads in the downtown tourist zone for much of the day.
Drivers heading south on the Transpeninsular Highway (Highway 1) or north toward Tijuana should not be affected, but local traffic near the waterfront will need to detour. Pedestrians can still access shops and restaurants in the area, though some sidewalks may be partially blocked by race infrastructure.
The original report was published by Ensenada.net on April 28.