Mexico Tenders All Priority Highway Contracts in 2026

Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) is overhauling its national transport strategy by front-loading all remaining tender contracts for the country’s priority road networks into 2026.

The procurement push forms a core pillar of the federal government’s broader Infrastructure Investment Plan for Development with Well-Being, a 2025–2030 initiative representing a historic total investment of MX$1.33 trillion (US$77 billion). The multi-billion-dollar framework spans highways, toll roads, freight and passenger railways, aviation, educational facilities, and sports infrastructure.

Speaking at a conference hosted by the Civil Engineers College of Mexico (CICM), SICT Minister, Jesús Esteva announced that procurement for all remaining national highway segments will be launched in 2026 under a newly enacted regulatory framework: the Law for the Promotion of Investment in Strategic Infrastructure for Development with Well-Being.

“This year we are tendering the rest, thanks to what the president proposed to us: the new Infrastructure Law for Well-Being, which allowed us to have sufficient resources. It will no longer be year by year; this 2026 the entirety will be tendered,” Esteva Medina said during his address to the CICM.

The multi-year capital deployment is expected to generate nearly 4 million direct and indirect jobs across Mexico’s construction and logistics sectors—specifically 3,986,328 positions, according to official agency estimates.

Priority Corridors and Capital Allocation

The SICT’s master plan targets the modernization and construction of 5,483 km of primary trunk corridors, alongside long-term strategic projections targeting 5,295 km by 2040 and an additional 6,362 km by 2050.

Within this framework, the federal government has earmarked MX$144.38 billion (US$8.46 billion) specifically for 2,313 km of priority highway corridors. While tendering will occur in 2026, execution and capital expenditure will peak between 2027 and 2029, with 79% of the total budget for priority corridors disbursed from 2027 onward.

The outlay timeline includes:

• 2027 (Peak Investment): MX$35.13 billion (US$2,059) allocated to construct 571 km.

• 2028: MX$39.02 billion (US$2.29 billion) allocated to construct 521 km.

• Delivery Output: 1,848 km delivered between 2026 and 2029.

• To date, 210 km across two priority corridors have been completed: the Bavispe–Nuevo Casas Grandes highway and the Tierra y Libertad Circuit in Morelos. Seven additional corridors are currently under construction, and one is slated to break ground this year.

In addition to federal highways, the SICT is overseeing 2,500 km of mixed-investment toll highways (four completed, 10 in progress, and three set to begin). The agency is also executing a bridge overhaul, planning to build and rehabilitate 619 bridges spanning a combined 160 km. This includes 23 major vehicular bridge projects requiring MX$23.56 billion (US$1.38 billion) in capital, with average construction costs ranging between MX$28,000 and MX$29,000 (US$1,641.27-US$1,699.88) per square meter. Eight bridge projects (18 km) are complete, 10 are underway, and five are scheduled to break ground between 2026 and 2027.

Maintenance Mobilization: "MegaBachetón 2026"

Alongside long-term expansion, the SICT is executing an aggressive short-term maintenance effort dubbed "MegaBachetón 2026." Addressing immediate bottlenecks across the toll-free Federal Highway Network, the program has so far covered 58,542 km.

To deploy the maintenance drive, the SICT mobilized 17,479 workers across 817 active crews, utilizing 5,366 heavy machinery units. According to the General Directorate of Highway Conservation, operations have repaired 45,492 potholes and treated over 38.93 million square meters of roadway surface.

Routine maintenance—encompassing drainage repair, clearing, and signage—utilized 23,437 tons of asphalt mix across 145,574 square meters. Major periodic conservation, including full pavement replacement and ditch reconstruction, consumed 4.46 million tons of asphalt mix across 38.78 million square meters.

To optimize operational efficiency and curb expenditures, contractor teams deployed specialized Paving Trains (Trenes de Pavimentación). The automated machinery serviced 900 km of the un-tolled network, forming part of a broader two-stage strategy targeting 45,600 kilometers of federal roads, including major overhauls for 18,000 high-density kilometers.

The SICT's planning and prospective frameworks for the 2025–2030 cycle are being coordinated alongside the Infrastructure Policy Council (CPI Mexico) of the CICM.