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Wm_Elliot's avatar
Wm_Elliot
Explorer
Mar 03, 2016

Durango to Mazatlan report

Rode the new toll road for the first time. One big calk up at booth that refused to allow a doble to pass through to do a u-turn. Watched the doble driver attempt to back up his 2 54' trailers about 300 feet through concrete barricades for about 30 minutes. They wouldn't open another lane. Since we were on a motorcycle this time I rode around the barricades and paid by 120 pesos and was on my way. Not sure about everyone else... they may still be there.
One tunnel had some serious issues, the east lane was blocked off and beams were propping up the ceiling. There was a lot of work going on at many locations.
My GPS had a freezeup leaving me to motor on to Mazatlan on the toll road - which if you're going north you'll see no signs for a Mazatlan exit. Finally I exited the toll road north of Mazatlan and did a U-turn on 15 and rode back south about 5 miles so it was all good.
  • The libre is in very good shape and the Espinazo del Diablo is an incredible drive. We've done it twice. Not to mention all the boondocking spots and really great places to eat.
  • We've done the libre at least 10 times round trip. It's a great road and probably one of the top motorcycle roads in the world.
    The wife wanted to see what the toll road was like.
  • Toll road is nice. We did it once. The bridges and tunnels are quite an engineering feat. I have also heard there are some issues that are being worked on to improve or repair.

    My blog header picture is the rv parked at the end of the bridge looking back. It was very exciting for me to see this project finished.
  • That one tunnel had a huge rock punch through the roof last Fall during heavy rains. (According the Green Angel who was escorting our caravan) That spot is exposed to th sky. I would not do the libree ina n RV without an exhaust brake.
  • Tequila wrote:
    That one tunnel had a huge rock punch through the roof last Fall during heavy rains. (According the Green Angel who was escorting our caravan) That spot is exposed to th sky. I would not do the libree ina n RV without an exhaust brake.


    We did it years ago and really wished for an exhaust brake! :E
  • I did it once on the libre headed west when the truck brakes overheated and boiled the brake fluid which effectively killed the truck brakes. We drove carefully from the top using low on the automatic combined with the trailer brakes.. and lived to tell the tale.