PUERTO VALLARTA, Jalisco, Sept. 2, 2026 — Puerto Vallarta will decide by the end of September whether Avenida México beside Parque Hidalgo reopens to vehicles, stays pedestrian or follows a mixed schedule.
Mayor Luis Ernesto Munguía González said the city is consulting nearby residents and business owners before selecting an operating plan.
The decision will set access rules for drivers, pedestrians, and businesses near the Malecón, Hotel Rosita, and the 5 de Diciembre neighborhood.
How the options would change downtown access
A full reopening would restore the street’s previous traffic flow toward Jesús Langarica and 31 de Octubre, according to Munguía.
The city could instead adopt a mixed plan. Under that option, the street would carry vehicles on certain days while remaining pedestrian during designated periods.
“If residents and business owners favor certain hours or days when it remains pedestrian, that could be considered,” Munguía said.
The mayor said any reopening would require updated signs, operating rules and municipal personnel to regulate traffic.
A mixed schedule could also include controlled passenger loading. Munguía raised that option in April, when some business owners asked the city to consider keeping the section pedestrian.
At that time, he said the government still expected to restore vehicle traffic unless most affected merchants supported another arrangement.
Earlier agreement called for vehicle traffic
The September review follows nearly a year of changing plans for the corridor between Calle Argentina and 31 de Octubre.
Before construction began, the mayor said a public consultation would help determine when vehicles could enter the Malecón extension and whether access should vary by day or hour.
Residents, merchants and taxi drivers later protested the project’s rollout. Work resumed after the municipal government and local stakeholders signed an October 2025 agreement specifying that two lanes would remain available for traffic.
By January, however, construction delays were still limiting access. Munguía said the section would reopen partially to Jesús Langarica once the Public Works and Traffic departments completed safety preparations.
The unfinished work remained visible in mid-January, with barriers and excavation affecting movement between Parque Hidalgo and the Malecón.
Businesses carried part of the construction cost
In our review of the project record, we found that the City Council approved financial assistance for businesses affected by the work.
The November 2025 municipal agreement authorized payments of up to 30,000 pesos for each affected commercial location. The assistance was limited to two locations per person or company.
The supporting document said the prolonged construction disrupted daily operations and caused financial losses that threatened some businesses’ ability to continue operating.
Those documented effects give nearby merchants a direct interest in the final traffic plan. Vehicle access affects deliveries and customer drop-offs, while a pedestrian corridor changes how people enter the businesses around Parque Hidalgo.
Drainage work continues near Parque Hidalgo
The traffic decision remains linked to hydraulic work in the area.
Munguía said crews are preparing a stormwater collector along Jesús Langarica. The line will connect a storm drain near Parque Hidalgo with an outlet toward the beach.
The mayor said corrugated pipe had reached the work site and excavation was being prepared. The collector will connect with drainage infrastructure already operating in the Avenida México corridor.
Previous work included storm drains, water and sewer improvements, underground utility lines and a raised street surface designed to manage runoff.
Munguía said the city intends to settle the street’s operating plan before September ends and then implement the agreed schedule.
