Plan Michoacán Invests US$1.4 Billion in Highway Infrastructure

Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT) will invest more than MX$24.8 billion (about US$1.4 billion) to modernize highways, preserve federal and state roads, and upgrade rural routes in the western state of Michoacán, as part of the federal government’s Plan Michoacán. Highway infrastructure will be a central pillar of federal investment in the state over the coming years. Under the plan, SICT will allocate MX$24.84 billion to modernize 256km of federal highways, improve regional connectivity, and strengthen road safety.

The public works program will be carried out over the next four years and is designed to facilitate the movement of people and goods across strategic areas of the state while supporting regional economic development.

Several priority projects are already underway, according to the ministry. One of them is the Patzcuaro–Uruapan highway, where 50km are being modernized with an investment of nearly MX$1.79 billion. The project is in its final stage and is expected to be completed in February 2026.

Work is also continuing on the Uruapan–Nueva Italia corridor, a 60km stretch receiving MX$7.05 billion in investment. Completion is scheduled for December this year. Officials consider the route strategic for mobility and economic activity in the region.

The plan also includes the start of modernization work on the Lazaro Cardenas–Nueva Italia highway, one of the largest projects in the program. The initiative calls for MX$16 billion in investment to upgrade 146km of roadway over three phases during a four-year period.

Once completed, the projects are expected to benefit municipalities including Morelia, Patzcuaro, Uruapan, Nueva Italia, Arteaga, and Lazaro Cardenas by reducing travel times, improving road safety, and strengthening regional integration.

Beyond major highways, SICT said additional resources will be directed toward the maintenance of federal and state roads, as well as rural road networks, expanding the plan’s impact across the state. Between 2026 and 2027, the federal government will invest MX$8.19 billion in conservation work on 59 road segments totaling 2,748km. These efforts include “Safe Pathways” projects aimed at improving security and accessibility in 44 municipalities.

An additional MX$2.3 billion will be allocated to the construction and rehabilitation of 95 artisanal rural roads, covering 369.5km and benefiting 39 municipalities. Among them are Lazaro Cardenas, Uruapan, Zacapu, Zitacuaro and Venustiano Carranza.

With this investment package, the federal government aims to address long-standing infrastructure gaps in Michoacan and strengthen social well-being. Authorities see highway modernization, road preservation and rural connectivity as key tools for boosting regional development, improving mobility and contributing to security and peace in the state.

SICT Maintained 45,477km of Free Federal Highways in 2025

MBN reported that SICT also carried out extensive maintenance work across the country’s toll-free federal highway network in 2025, targeting both day-to-day upkeep and heavier periodic rehabilitation works. The update comes as federal public investment has been contracting sharply under a broader push for fiscal consolidation, a trend analysts warn could weigh on economic growth through 2026.

SICT reports that from January to December 2025 it delivered routine conservation works on 45,477km of the Toll-free Federal Highway Network. The ministry says it invested MX$3.94 billion (US$219.76 million) in these activities, benefiting an estimated 126 million citizens.

The routine program was executed through 297 work fronts and generated 8,430 jobs, including 2,810 direct and 5,620 indirect positions. SICT says the work focused on practical interventions that preserve safe conditions and prevent small issues from becoming larger failures, including clearing vegetation along the right-of-way, desilting and cleaning drainage systems, removing rockfalls and debris, and filling areas affected by landslides.

Beyond routine upkeep, SICT says it also addressed 2,754km through periodic conservation of road segments during the same January-December 2025 period, with an investment of MX$7 billion (US$390.10 million). The ministry said this work benefited 45 million inhabitants.

This subprogram was carried out through 498 work fronts and generated 4,987 direct jobs and 9,974 indirect jobs, totaling 14,961 jobs associated with the periodic conservation component.

Combined, SICT’s routine plus periodic conservation spending totaled MX$10.9 billion (US$609.86 million) in 2025. SICT frames the results within the National Road Maintenance Program, which it describes as an integrated maintenance approach for the toll-free federal highway network, combining routine, periodic, and emergency conservation.

SICT Inspects Veracruz Bridge Rehab

Meanwhile, SICT Minister Jesús Esteva toured Veracruz to inspect two high-impact works already reshaping regional mobility: the 90%-complete first-stage rehabilitation of the Antonio Dovalí Jaime bridge and the 51%-complete Port of Veracruz access interchange, a MX$788 million (US$43.31 million) project designed to cut trips by up to 25 minutes, reported MBN.

SICT reports that modernization works on the Antonio Dovalí Jaime Bridge, located in Minatitlan and in service for 40 years, are intended to strengthen structural safety and extend the bridge’s useful life. According to the ministry, the project has generated 750 jobs and is 90% complete in a first stage that includes the replacement of six stay cables. The works are expected to benefit residents in Minatitlan, Ixhuatlan del Sureste, and Cosoleacaque.

SICT says the Antonio Dovalí Jaime Bridge is the first cable-stayed bridge built in Mexico. The structure crosses the Coatzacoalcos River and measures 1,170m in total length, with 14 spans. Maintenance works include replacing the bridge’s 68 stay cables with high-strength, durable prestressing steel, and implementing a monitoring system to detect alerts and track the bridge’s structural behavior.