# Getting Around Oaxaca State



## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Sincé moving to Chiapas back in 2008, we have become quite fond of driving from our home in San Cristóbal de Las Casas to various parts of nearby Oaxaca State - a place among our favorite destinations in Mexico. To date, the problem has been that we are fond of both the inland áreas of the state around Oaxaca City and the state´s beautiful and remote coast which áreas have long been separated by arduous drives over mountainous roads. I have been pleased that for some time now, new high-speed autopistas have been under construction from Oaxaca City to both Puerto Escondido on the state´s northern coast near the Guerrero State line and Tehuantepec on the isthmus just inland from the state´s southern coast near the Chiapas State line. To date, it has been something of a mystery as to when these roads, which have been subject to delays, will be opened to shorten the driving time from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido from the present seven hours over twisting mountain roads to two hours and from the city to Tehuantepec from about five hours over equally twisting mountain roads, to two hours as well. It has been difficult to know just when these new high-speed autopistas will be open to the public but I am pleased to pass on information I have just received that the Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido autopista is 60% complete and the Oaxaca City to Tehuantepec autopista is 54% complete. These routes are projected to be opened around mid-2016 or so they tell us. One of the pleasures of living in Southern Mexico these past few years has been the dramatic improvement in the highway infrastructure that has made getting about in those parts far easier than when we first moved there in 2008. Remote parts of these states are now far more accessable to the traveling public whether resident or tourist, than in the past


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## Cristobal (Nov 25, 2014)

Hound Dog said:


> Sincé moving to Chiapas back in 2008, we have become quite fond of driving from our home in San Cristóbal de Las Casas to various parts of nearby Oaxaca State - a place among our favorite destinations in Mexico. To date, the problem has been that we are fond of both the inland áreas of the state around Oaxaca City and the state´s beautiful and remote coast which áreas have long been separated by arduous drives over mountainous roads. I have been pleased that for some time now, new high-speed autopistas have been under construction from Oaxaca City to both Puerto Escondido on the state´s northern coast near the Guerrero State line and Tehuantepec on the isthmus just inland from the state´s southern coast near the Chiapas State line. To date, it has been something of a mystery as to when these roads, which have been subject to delays, will be opened to shorten the driving time from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido from the present seven hours over twisting mountain roads to two hours and from the city to Tehuantepec from about five hours over equally twisting mountain roads, to two hours as well. It has been difficult to know just when these new high-speed autopistas will be open to the public but I am pleased to pass on information I have just received that the Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido autopista is 60% complete and the Oaxaca City to Tehuantepec autopista is 54% complete. These routes are projected to be opened around mid-2016 or so they tell us. One of the pleasures of living in Southern Mexico these past few years has been the dramatic improvement in the highway infrastructure that has made getting about in those parts far easier than when we first moved there in 2008. Remote parts of these states are now far more accessable to the traveling public whether resident or tourist, than in the past


One of the worst nights of my life was a 9 hr bus ride from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca in Jan of 1972. There was no paved road for most of the route. The road's surface was the exact opposite of the tortuous tope road between San Cristobal and Palenque. The jolts came from the inumerous huge potholes that made sleep impossible. The bus resembled an elementary school bus with bare metal seats so close together I could not sit straight without having my knees under my chin. And going from the tropical heat and humidity to the bone dry chill of predawn Oaxaca added much to the memorable journey.


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## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks for that update Dog...


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