The rehabilitation of one-block sections of Ajijic’s Calles Marcos Castellanos and Parroquia, including the replacement of worn out sewage and water lines and resurfacing with decorative fixed cobblestones, was completed late Wednesday, November 19, exactly as promised by the Chapala municipal government.
However, automobiles and trucks won’t begin rolling on the new roadways until the town’s annual fiestas patronales end on November 30.
Marcos Castellanos is now closed to vehicular traffic along the full stretch between Calle Constitución and the highway to accommodate street vendors during the festivities.
Access to the parallel street Colón, running past the central plaza one block to the west, has also been restricted to make space for mechanical rides brought in to entertain the revelers. It will remain blocked for at least the entire month of December while phase two of the street repair project is in progress.
As if transit through the center of town wasn’t already bad enough this week, motorists got caught up in a monster traffic jam on Wednesday morning after a work crew showed up to do a quick patch-up job of a sink hole at the corner of Marcos Castellanos and Constitución.
Chaos ruled for several hours as drivers became entangled in no-way-out circles, with many seeking escape by heading against traffic on the one way streets that run east to west across town. A minor fender-bender that occurred mid-morning on Calle Juárez further aggravated the situation.
Residents who are accustomed to getting around town in their cars might want to think about investing in some good sneakers or hiking shoes and getting a head start on New Year’s resolutions to get more exercise on foot.