Tulum, Q.R. — UPDATED: After four years of paperwork, a new billion-peso bypass project for the municipality of Tulum has been withdrawn. Last week, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) updated their environmental impact statement for the ongoing mega-project.
The project, which was first submitted to the General Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk (DGIRA) in May of 2021, requests permission to build a 26 kilometer long bypass.
The Tulum bypass project, according to the submitted paperwork, was to include three grade-separated interchanges. The Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes (SICT) is requesting federal permission to go ahead with construction.
According to the DGIRA application, the project is titled “Regional Environmental Impact Statement for the Construction of the Tulum Bypass, with a length of 26.0 km, including three grade-separated interchanges, in the state of Quintana Roo”.
The main objective of the Tulum overpass is to relieve both light and heavy traffic through the municipality of Tulum. The project outlines that “the population growth and/or demographic explosion is increasing by leaps and bounds at this time, which is why new ways of transportation are being sought.”
In this context, the main objectives of the construction of the Tulum Bypass include:
A. To connect and integrate primarily the localities involved as well as neighboring municipalities, which will allow the development of these communities through efficient communication routes, thus mitigating the lack of services and marginalization that exists in many localities in this area, as well as facilitating the tourist flow registered in the State.
B. To relieve traffic congestion in the town of Tulum, which, being crossed by the main communication route between Cancun and Chetumal, already experiences considerable traffic jams, caused mainly by cargo vehicles, which hinder the economic and tourist activities of that municipality.
C. To generate savings in travel time and operating costs for long-distance traffic.
D. To improve the efficiency of the road network and therefore increase the country’s competitiveness.
Justification: The construction of efficient and safe roads and other communication routes is a reflection of a developing society and synonymous with an advanced civilization.
The project consists of the construction of the Tulum Bypass, with a length of 26.0 km, including three overpasses, in the State of Quintana Roo, a road project that will meet the current needs within the region of influence, such as road access, integration and communication.
The project involves the construction of a new road section that meets the specifications of a “Type A2” road, with a length of 26.0 km. It will include minor drainage works and signage for its proper functioning, adhering to the technical specifications of the current Standards for Technical Services, Geometric Design, and Specifications for the construction of roads, of the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT).
The project also includes three overpasses which are (1) Carrillo Puerto interchange, (2) Coba interchange and (3) Playa del Carmen.
“That is why the Tulum Bypass highway section and its three interchanges are part of a comprehensive project, as it will benefit the communities located within the project area,” the report reads.
“Because it is a region of great economic importance, the bypass will reduce travel time by becoming a faster and safer route. This road will be so important that its impact will reach local and foreign users traveling along Federal Highway 307 Cancun-Chetumal, thus also facilitating traffic, as it will provide a safer passage for local vehicles in the center of the town of Tulum,” authorities added.
The section is located in the State of Quintana Roo, on the lands of 8 localities belonging to 2 ejidos (communal land areas) in the municipality of Tulum: Ejido Tulum and Ejido Jacinto Pat.
The Tulum Bypass has an estimated project cost of around one billion pesos, which authorities pointed out, will depend on costs at the time of actual construction.
In August of this year, Discover Airlines announced the cancellation of its flights into the Tulum International Airport. One of the founding factors for the cancellation was the long travel time from the airport due to a lack of municipal infrastructure.
UPDATE November 4: The SICT update to their environmental impact statement included the withdrawal of their request for an environmental permit to build the Tulum bypass. As of October 02, 2025, the project was considered resolved after the SICT, represented by Martha Vélez Xaxalpa, executive director of Projects of the General Directorate of Highways, submitted a formal letter of withdrawal to not continue with the environmental process.
“Through this document, I hereby withdraw from the process initiated before that General Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk, to carry out the actions described in the aforementioned project, as it is in the best interests of this Secretariat,” the submitted document reads.
Vélez Xaxalpa did not provide a reason for the withdrawal of the project. The General Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk (DGIRA) published the official resolution October 30, 2025.
