Traffic in Mérida: more than 30 hotspots?

The calm of life in Mérida is one of the traits that best define the capital of Yucatán. Thanks to it, more and more people choose to settle here — but how does the population face the rise in traffic in Mérida?

The city’s fast growth has also changed its road structure and flow. It is now more common to see a volume of cars that at times turns into gridlock at certain hours or in specific areas.

One thing to note is how traffic in Mérida has increased in recent years.

A report by the newspaper El Financiero says the city has more than 30 traffic “hotspots”

This means that at certain hours and in specific areas, the number of vehicles exceeds the road capacity the city currently has.

Depending on where you live, work or spend most of your day, that is how much time you’ll spend sitting in traffic.

For example, one of the busiest areas in Mérida is, naturally, the city centre, where much of the state’s cultural and economic exchange takes place.

The centre of Mérida is almost always the venue for cultural or political events, and home to the most important theatres, museums and restaurants in Mérida.

Although there is heavy traffic in the area all day, it is during working hours and at weekends that access to the downtown area becomes a hotspot for anyone who needs to drive its streets.

The north of the city has also seen one of the biggest urban growths of the last decade: where there was once only flat land, vertical buildings now house more and more businesses and homes.

If the city grows, the number of residents naturally grows too, so it is natural that new needs have appeared over the years.

Hospitals, shopping centres, restaurants and other services occupy the north of Mérida, one of the city’s most important residential and recreational areas.

It is common to find places where the police direct traffic, aiming to avoid, as far as possible, accidents and jams caused by rush-hour volume.

Another traffic hotspot in the city is the anillo periférico (ring road), a circuit around the whole city that originally separated it from the surrounding towns.

Today the periférico is the city’s main road, but there is a notable rise in the number of vehicles that use it daily, making it one of the busiest roads at all hours.

Could traffic in Mérida be a problem in the years ahead?

On the ring road, the highest risk of jams is between 7 and 9 a.m., while at weekends you may have to wait a few extra minutes to continue your journey at night.

Perhaps the most conflictive spots are the roundabouts that link the city with the ring road, since they connect the various residential, school and recreational areas you can reach.

In short, you’ll gradually learn the rush hours on the streets you use most — but don’t be caught by surprise! You’ll need patience to drive in the city, as more vehicles are projected to arrive in the coming months and years.

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