Bypass around Tepic

We reported on this road in November, and when we passed through March 16, it wasn't open yet, and looked like it needed a LITTLE more work.
South of Tepic, there was a right that was an autopista to San Blas.
On the left side of the road, (going south) was a continuation of that road. Well past Tepic on the toll road was a new interchange, that again, wasn't open or complete. March 16 that appeared to be where a bypass would rejoin the toll road.
We like staying in Tepic, so won't be using the bypass, but it will be a great thing for others, when it opens.

Looks as though there may be a better road on the way to Puerto Vallarta (there are already 2 or 3 that do not go as far as Tepic) but we haven't yet heard information about a good road past PV. This is a difficult area because of the mountains that rise around the southern area of that city. The road to San Sebastien is accessed somewhere near the airport, to go east where it leads one to the Guadaljara region via a connection to Hwy 80. That stretch of road is very steep in places and prone to slide activity in wet weather, so not really a logical route to replace Hwy 200, plus, you'd still have to deal with some of PV's traffic.

I can see what you're looking for Robathelake, more of a straight shoot off Hwy 15 that arrives on the Costa Alegra, no cities to go near.

With the grand expectation of the new airport being completed south of Tomatlan, and nearly all the fine beaches now "spoken for" to the exclusion of folks driving on Mexico 200, the area is "slated" to become a big, Fly- In destination. Of course, Melaque is closer to La Manzanillo airport, but if flying in to the north, what hope would there be for tourists to leave their hotels. We saw first hand the difficulty visitors to Blue Bay resort always had to see the towns to the south, like Barra de Navidad.

The route we would take always missed Guad,(and PV of course) on our way to Villa Corona while traveling southeast. These are secondary roads you share with the trucks carrying sugar cane and the like, very rural, miles away from the big city of Guad. Continuing after our short stay near Villa Corona, we would join the route to Colima, still missing Guadalajara. Only once, when we were headed for Ontario and Quebec did we get close to Guad with our rig, because we needed to take the existing periferico to access the road to Zacatecas, and beyond. That time one really needed to pay attention as to where our road north left the bypass road. I think only a fool would drive right through the big city (although we were on the coast one year and drove through the Malecon at Puerto Vallarta).

I am a little confused by the wording. You say bypass around Tepic and east of Tepic and speak of Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta? I recently started a thread about the new Guadalajara bypass but am not sure if that is what you mean . . . https://forums.trailerlife.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28737896.cfm . . . Depends on where you come from and where you want to go. You could take this road to hook up with 54D down to Manzanillo and then up to Melaque etc. Would this be what you are asking about? The road is making progress but no one seems to know official opening date. There are lots of new roads being built or upgraded all over Mexico and I was recently on an SCT website or other MX gov't site where I did see some new roads mapped. How to get to that website now I forget. We have been on 200 north and south of Puerto Vallarta but never been to Puerto Vallarta so don't know that area - down to Lo de Marcos - and up to Perula from Manzanillo. There is also a sort of bypass from Tala I think to Campostela someone told us about but that probably isn't what you mean. Maybe you can clarify what you mean with your question - what route do you want to take and where are you coming from and where are you going etc.?

Not heard about any new by pass east of Tepic but the autopista north of Tepic to San Blas is under construction hopefully complete by next season.

I guess I should have continued typing!

What I needed to add was it would be nice to avoid P.V. and Guadalajara en route to Melaque/Bara de Navidad.

The existing Routes through those Cities are not for the faint of heart!

I'm sure that in the coming Years there will be a decent Autopista to connect through to the new developments near the Old Tamarindo Resort.

daveB110 wrote:
This is likely not news to you, but in years past we have driven south via Villa Corona (and Chimulco RV) to wait for coastal areas to cool off a bit in November, then drive through Colima, Manzanillo through to Melaque. In spring, with the coast heating up again, we would take Hwy 80 up towards Guadalajara and again camp near Villa Corona for awhile, then travel towards Tepic on our way north. No PV except by toad, then back to the Costa Alegre. What new roads there are, I don't know, except for a route off hwy 80 that gets you beyond San Sebastien and into Puerto Vallarta, very steep and prone to slides in wet weather. We would not drive down to the coast on Hwy 80, because of its long, narrow, steep downhill sections. But with a different more suitable vehicle that would be a shorter routeto Melaque than via Colima.

My brakes were smoking on that stretch this season. I would go up it, but not down it.

This is likely not news to you, but in years past we have driven south via Villa Corona (and Chimulco RV) to wait for coastal areas to cool off a bit in November, then drive through Colima, Manzanillo through to Melaque. In spring, with the coast heating up again, we would take Hwy 80 up towards Guadalajara and again camp near Villa Corona for awhile, then travel towards Tepic on our way north. No PV except by toad, then back to the Costa Alegre. What new roads there are, I don't know, except for a route off hwy 80 that gets you beyond San Sebastien and into Puerto Vallarta, very steep and prone to slides in wet weather. We would not drive down to the coast on Hwy 80, because of its long, narrow, steep downhill sections. But with a different more suitable vehicle that would be a shorter routeto Melaque than via Colima.