In no way do I claim this attempt at a drawing is even close to accurate. A new road appears to be in construction that will eventually loop all around Guadalajara. Those of you familiar with the area will get some idea of where it goes from the following rough map. It can be seen on Google Earth where most of the road can be seen if you look closely. The Google Earth Image Date is from February 2015 so about a year old. More has been accomplished since then. I don't know much more than that other than we have seen some of the construction going on as we drive other roads in this area. This will be a big help in the effort to avoid Guadalajara traffic.

You can see it under construction if you travel along the north shore of lake Chapala

Most of it is already there .... must just be widening and bypassing. It should be in the valley on the other side of the mountains from Chapala. See it?

When we have gone up 54 toward Guadalajara from Jocotepec for the past couple of years we see bridge beams and such in a big construction yard they have there where the intersection will be. It seems they are still building bridges and still doing work around that intersection. We can see the concrete roadway in either direction but does not appear anyone can use the road yet. They have been working on it for at least 4 years that we know of and still not done. We did not know what it was until recently when we could see the entire route on Google Earth. Since we can see what appears to be a complete route we assume maybe with luck they will get it done in another 10 years or so - - - just kidding. Hoping for sooner than that.

I'll be there in August, and again in November. Hopefully it is completed by then

Here's a Google Earth PATH of what looks like the construction of the new road around Guadalajara.........

NEW ROAD AROUND GUADALAJARA | Good Sam Community

briansue
Explorer
Oct 02, 2016
In May a lot of that road on the south side of the lake was tore up. They didn't just tear up one lane for rebuilding...they tore up both lanes! It will be great once they finish, whenever that is.

They have been rebuilding that road in sections for several years. Probably no way to know which sections will be done or if they plan to do all sections. It was a narrow road with no shoulders. Now the sections they have done are wider and have shoulders. But you still have to go through one very narrow town where it does no appear possible to widen it. I have read posts saying there could be a periferico/librmento built on the lake side of town but we have seen no indication of that. The construction areas are maybe 5 miles long each time they do another section. Slow going and our motorhome got very dirty. But we survived. Surprisingly the road from that road up to Mazamitla was done first and has been done for years. Many roads all over Mexico have been upgraded in recent years - things have gotten better on many back roads.
Belgique
Explorer
Oct 02, 2016
In May a lot of that road on the south side of the lake was tore up. They didn't just tear up one lane for rebuilding...they tore up both lanes! It will be great once they finish, whenever that is.
briansue
Explorer
Oct 02, 2016
the sw corner of the lake.

Went that way just once - now we stay on the east side of the lake and go through Quiroga.
Tequila
Explorer
Oct 01, 2016
The reason I dont use this one is that god awful long narrow town you have to go through at the sw corner of the lake.
briansue
Explorer
Oct 01, 2016
We take the old 15 from Patzcuaro to Chapala - don't like big highways - prefer back roads - but not a fun road for a caravan or nervous drivers - slower route.
Tequila
Explorer
Sep 26, 2016
I use that one coming from the south like patzcuaro,
briansue
Explorer
Sep 23, 2016
I am not suggest this as a logical loop route around Guadalajara. We have never taken this route as a loop. But we have taken parts of this route when in the area to get from one point to another for various reasons. This is not a limited access highway. It does go through some towns - there are traffic lights - there are topes. But it is almost all good wide roads - mostly 4 lane - recently rebuilt and resurfaced. Depending on your destination you might find some of this route useful until the new super road is completed. I haven't done this with a photo before so not sure how it works - this may be clickable to enlarge.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Sep 22, 2016
I have never driven a Libramiento in Mexico that was not choked with traffic during rush hour and on weekends. Clever travel scheduling minimizes this.
Tequila
Explorer
Sep 21, 2016
There is already a bypass around the south side of guadalajara, if you know where it is, its not toll road, but I use to get from Zacatecas to Villa corona. It involves a couple of retornos

If anyone wants the instructions, you can download them at

www.mexicocaravan.com/ZacatecasVC.pdf.

The instructions start at the Hotel Baruk parking lot in Zacatecas
fugawibill
Explorer
Sep 21, 2016
Update