Driving to Laredo later this week - directions and hints

[solajijic]

We are going to the US via Laredo later this week it is the first time since 2006 that we have traveled that way. Usually we go thru Piedra Negra/Eagles Pass.

Are there any new roads or by passes we should know about? Odd signage? Thanks.

[canmex87]

We are going to the US via Laredo later this week it is the first time since 2006 that we have traveled that way. Usually we go thru Piedra Negra/Eagles Pass.

Are there any new roads or by passes we should know about? Odd signage? Thanks.

[/quote}

Several friends have recently gone the Aquasclientes, Zacatecas, Saltio route. Its about 90 miles shorter than the San Luis Potosi route. There is a new quota road from Aquascalientes to the north side of Zacatecas. The road to Saltio (#54) is mostly four lanes now.

They found it safe and very few security stops.

[Tadpole]

We are going to the US via Laredo later this week it is the first time since 2006 that we have traveled that way. Usually we go thru Piedra Negra/Eagles Pass.

Are there any new roads or by passes we should know about? Odd signage? Thanks.

Just completed that trip. Followed the Lagos de Morino to Matuhuala (sp) to Monterrey to Laredo route. Mostly quota and there is a new quota to bypass that old two lane crooked area right after LdM. Let at five and was checked into our Laredo hotel and having a wine at five. Sorry I can't help you with much more. There were four federal checkpoints. No problems at any. We hired someone to travel with us that makes the trip regularly and knows the way and such.

[RickS]

We are going to the US via Laredo later this week it is the first time since 2006 that we have traveled that way. Usually we go thru Piedra Negra/Eagles Pass.

Are there any new roads or by passes we should know about? Odd signage? Thanks.

To be REAL specific about that route, here are the directions that I gave to someone else recently.....

On the 80D cuota out of Guadalajara you'll eventually get to Lagos de Moreno (take the short bypass of this town to the left... watch carefully for it). Once on the northern outskirts of Lagos, on 80, you will see the new 2-lane cuota. Take it. It runs along the right side of the old libre 80 which was a horrible road.

About 50 miles later you will be approaching Ville de Arriaga and you will want to take the cuota to the right before you get to Arriaga. I don't remember the name of this cuota.... it could be a continuation of 80D....... but in any respect it will probably say "to Mexico or Mexico 57". After about 45 miles on it, you will connect with highway 57; go left/north. In less than 2 miles? you will take the San Luis Potosi bypass to the right. It will probably say "57D to Matehuala". This bypass is about 20 miles long before it again rejoins 57 TO Matehuala. Watch your speed limit closely from about where you turned off 80D to the end of the 57D by-pass.

You will stay on 57 all the way to Saltillo. It will be both cuota and libre. On the NE side of Saltillo (you won't actually have to go into Saltillo), you will turn off 57 onto cuota 40D going east towards Monterrey. Then, after about 20 miles on 40D and as you approach the western side of Monterrey you will take the bypass/periferico around Monterrey which will connect with cuota 85 up to N. Laredo. Watch for a sign saying NVO Laredo; the exit will be right at one of the toll road booths.... make sure you are in the right-most lane at the toll booth here as it is the only one that can take the exit right to the bypass.

Follow this Periferico about another 20 miles around the NW side of Monterrey until you come to the exit for the cuota to N. Laredo on 85D. Take it. After about 115 miles coming up the cuota 85 from Monterrey, and as you start getting into N.V., the cuota will end and 85 will be a 4-lane divided road. Watch for green overhead hiway signs noting the route going right to "Blvd. Luis Donaldo Colosio, Puente Internacial II" (Bridge II). There will be a lateral to the right that one must get into after this sign and approaching Donaldo Colosio. You will turn/veer right at this intersection.... the sign there will say Luis D. Colosio/ Puente Int. II

This 4-lane will take you, in about 6-7 miles, around to the border crossing. You will sooner or later see the Rio Grande River on your right as you approach the bridge. IF YOU HAVE TO STOP AND TURN IN A VEHICLE TIP OR OTHERWISE DO IMMIGRATION WORK, LET ME KNOW AS THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE IS NOT INTUITIVELY PLACED.

[windstar]

To be REAL specific about that route, here are the directions that I gave to someone else recently.....

On the 80D cuota out of Guadalajara you'll eventually get to Lagos de Moreno (take the short bypass of this town to the left... watch carefully for it). Once on the northern outskirts of Lagos, on 80, you will see the new 2-lane cuota. Take it. It runs along the right side of the old libre 80 which was a horrible road.

About 50 miles later you will be approaching Ville de Arriaga and you will want to take the cuota to the right before you get to Arriaga. I don't remember the name of this cuota.... it could be a continuation of 80D....... but in any respect it will probably say "to Mexico or Mexico 57". After about 45 miles on it, you will connect with highway 57; go left/north. In less than 2 miles? you will take the San Luis Potosi bypass to the right. It will probably say "57D to Matehuala". This bypass is about 20 miles long before it again rejoins 57 TO Matehuala. Watch your speed limit closely from about where you turned off 80D to the end of the 57D by-pass.

You will stay on 57 all the way to Saltillo. It will be both cuota and libre. On the NE side of Saltillo (you won't actually have to go into Saltillo), you will turn off 57 onto cuota 40D going east towards Monterrey. Then, after about 20 miles on 40D and as you approach the western side of Monterrey you will take the bypass/periferico around Monterrey which will connect with cuota 85 up to N. Laredo. Watch for a sign saying NVO Laredo; the exit will be right at one of the toll road booths.... make sure you are in the right-most lane at the toll booth here as it is the only one that can take the exit right to the bypass.

Follow this Periferico about another 20 miles around the NW side of Monterrey until you come to the exit for the cuota to N. Laredo on 85D. Take it. After about 115 miles coming up the cuota 85 from Monterrey, and as you start getting into N.V., the cuota will end and 85 will be a 4-lane divided road. Watch for green overhead hiway signs noting the route going right to "Blvd. Luis Donaldo Colosio, Puente Internacial II" (Bridge II). There will be a lateral to the right that one must get into after this sign and approaching Donaldo Colosio. You will turn/veer right at this intersection.... the sign there will say Luis D. Colosio/ Puente Int. II

This 4-lane will take you, in about 6-7 miles, around to the border crossing. You will sooner or later see the Rio Grande River on your right as you approach the bridge. IF YOU HAVE TO STOP AND TURN IN A VEHICLE TIP OR OTHERWISE DO IMMIGRATION WORK, LET ME KNOW AS THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE IS NOT INTUITIVELY PLACED.

Please give directions to the TIP office, thanks

[RickS]

Please give directions to the TIP office, thanks

This 4-lane ( "Blvd. Luis Donaldo Colosio from above) will take you, in about 6-7 miles, around to the border crossing. You will sooner or later see the Rio Grande River on your right as you approach the bridge. Prior to the bridge you will come to a signal light where you must get on a 2-lane lateral (Cesar L de Lara) which will start running right along the right side of Colosio. Also at that signal light you will see the first of the blue signs saying "Modulo CIITEV". They will point you down this lateral.

You will stay on this 2-way lateral for 'several hundred yards'. It will actually go under the Bridge. Just as/after you go under the bridge you will see a large, long building to the left behind chain link fencing and another blue CIITEV sign directing you into the parking lot of this building. Drive up to the building and then 'down to the right' adjacent to the building to an obvious 'hut' where the agent will be cancelling car permits. There may/will be a line of several/many cars depending on your timing/luck. Once you reach the agent, the process is: 1) give her/him the ORIGINAL paperwork for your TIP... the sheet that the sticker was once adhered to, 2) she will match the VIN# on your car with the VIN# on the paperwork, 3) enter info into a computer, 4) take some pictures of the VIN# sticker, 5) tell you to pull off the sticker on the inside of your windshield, and than 6) print you out a receipt for the cancellation of the TIP. Keep this receipt forever! It's your proof that you did follow the law and take your car out of Mexico.

If you also need to stamp your visa or whatever one has to do with a FM2/FM3 when exiting Mexico, circle back to the main entrance of the building in that same parking lot and go in to an Immigration window.

Once all is taken care of there, retrace you route back on the 2-lane lateral to that signal light/intersection, then do a U-Turn back onto Donaldo Colosio. Within a few hundred yards you will come back to the bridge where 1) Mexico will want a small toll fee for being on Colosio, and the 2) you'll drive into one of the many US Customs car lines to enter the USA.

Hope this helps.....

[solajijic]

Wow Rick thanks a bunch!

[Explorador]

RickS, You're detailed directions are great!

I don't quite understand getting through SLP though.

Did you mean this route or that we should take either the northern or southern periféricos ?

[AlanMexicali]

RickS, You're detailed directions are great!

I don't quite understand getting through SLP though.

2013-08-22_0733.png

Did you mean this route or that we should take either the northern or southern periféricos ?

He means the SLP Mx 57 bypass [cuota] which on the map is the yellow highway near the bottom and goes at a 45* angle cutting across the desert to Mx 57 north [on the map it is going straight up]. You save about 15 kilometers instead if you went into SLP and stayed on the Mx.57 all the way, however, you miss seeing some of SLP. It is rumored this SLP bypass is crawling with police stopping foreign plated vehicles. Time wise you save about 20 minutes or so and there is nothing to see and like Rick said don´t speed on this stretch of open highway. Your TIP papers must be in good order also.

[RickS]

RickS, You're detailed directions are great!

I don't quite understand getting through SLP though.

2013-08-22_0733.png

Did you mean this route or that we should take either the northern or southern periféricos ?

To expound on what Alan said.....

I am assuming that map you showed was using Google Maps. Expand that map out some and you'll get an idea of the complete bypass of SLP. I will describe going north; coming south just reverse my logic.

After expanding the map, you'll see, south of SLP, hiway 80 going through Villa de Arriga. Your map had you continuing on 80 through Villa and on into the heart of SLP. Instead of that, just below Villa de Arriga you will see a faint, non-colored road to the right/east.... looping down and eventually back to hiway 57. This road, in actuality, is a cuota...it will be signed as "MEXICO" 80 via Cuota .....Follow this 2-lane cuota quite a way over to Hiway 57.

As you are joining 57 go left/north towards Matehuala, not right/south to Mexico/Queretaro. After rejoining 57, almost immediately you will see signage to go right to Matehaula/Saltillo via Cuota. Take that exit right onto the SLP bypass which is a cuota itself. After quite a while this bypass will rejoin hiway 57 well north of SLP, around Barranca.

Be particularly aware of the hiway speed limit signs on all of this route.... even (particularly) if it says 40km/h ! There are an increasing number of stops both for (alleged) speeding and to check your car permit paperwork.

[Jim Bowie]

I enjoy driving thru the mountain villages and straight thru SLP, not the bi pass.

[Chooch57]

This 4-lane ( "Blvd. Luis Donaldo Colosio from above) will take you, in about 6-7 miles, around to the border crossing. You will sooner or later see the Rio Grande River on your right as you approach the bridge. Prior to the bridge you will come to a signal light where you must get on a 2-lane lateral (Cesar L de Lara) which will start running right along the right side of Colosio. Also at that signal light you will see the first of the blue signs saying "Modulo CIITEV". They will point you down this lateral.

You will stay on this 2-way lateral for 'several hundred yards'. It will actually go under the Bridge. Just as/after you go under the bridge you will see a large, long building to the left behind chain link fencing and another blue CIITEV sign directing you into the parking lot of this building. Drive up to the building and then 'down to the right' adjacent to the building to an obvious 'hut' where the agent will be cancelling car permits. There may/will be a line of several/many cars depending on your timing/luck. Once you reach the agent, the process is: 1) give her/him the ORIGINAL paperwork for your TIP... the sheet that the sticker was once adhered to, 2) she will match the VIN# on your car with the VIN# on the paperwork, 3) enter info into a computer, 4) take some pictures of the VIN# sticker, 5) tell you to pull off the sticker on the inside of your windshield, and than 6) print you out a receipt for the cancellation of the TIP. Keep this receipt forever! It's your proof that you did follow the law and take your car out of Mexico.

If you also need to stamp your visa or whatever one has to do with a FM2/FM3 when exiting Mexico, circle back to the main entrance of the building in that same parking lot and go in to an Immigration window.

Once all is taken care of there, retrace you route back on the 2-lane lateral to that signal light/intersection, then do a U-Turn back onto Donaldo Colosio. Within a few hundred yards you will come back to the bridge where 1) Mexico will want a small toll fee for being on Colosio, and the 2) you'll drive into one of the many US Customs car lines to enter the USA.

Hope this helps.....

Thanks, I will use this for future reference.

[AlanMexicali]

I enjoy driving thru the mountain villages and straight thru SLP, not the bi pass.

It is about 25 to 30 minutes shorter driving the Mx. 80 libre to SLP from where the intersection just past Ojuelos and the Mx. 70 to Aguascaliente and the Mx. 80 cuota over to were the Mx. 80 joins the Mx. 57 about 10 kilometers south of the Mx. 57 SLP bypass cuota and a better/faster/straighter highway until you get to the "mountains" going down into SLP which is a about 30 minute winding 2 lane road and passes through those pueblos you mentioned and turn offs to some ejidos, that you enjoy. All the busses and most trucks coming from Lagos de Moreno do not take it because the last 30 minutes can be very slow if you get behind a truck or an ejido bus [old large busses servicing those pueblos and ejidos there]. The first part before the hills is very fast across the high desert and an excellent highway.

[Explorador]

Thanks all for the clarification everyone. Alan, did your last post mean to say: "The route shown on your map (above) is shorter/faster/straighter except right before SLP (going NE) where it goes through the mountains."

I have located the gray-out bypass that goes around (south of) the mountains and understand that watching one's speed and having good papers are very important here. Thanks again for all the help.

So my new preferred route would be:

(Click on image to expand.)

This is my first time driving north so continued comments and optimizations are appreciated.

[thevalerieleigh]

We're headed up on Sunday! Car Nationalization, here we come...

Valerie

[Jim Bowie]

It is about 25 to 30 minutes shorter driving the Mx. 80 libre to SLP from where the intersection just past Ojuelos and the Mx. 70 to Aguascaliente and the Mx. 80 cuota over to were the Mx. 80 joins the Mx. 57 about 10 kilometers south of the Mx. 57 SLP bypass cuota and a better/faster/straighter highway until you get to the "mountains" going down into SLP which is a about 30 minute windy 2 lane road and passes through those pueblos you mentioned and turn offs to some ejidos, that you enjoy. All the busses and most trucks coming from Lagos de Moreno do not take it because the last 30 minutes can be very slow if you get behind a truck or an ejido bus [old large busses servicing those pueblos and ejidos there]. The first part before the hills is very fast across the high desert and an excellent highway.

We always take this, as the road is so much better now, and there is even ample room, at times, to pass. About 22 minutes in these mountains (but we have traveled this road maybe 50 times in 14 years) More options for a Big Mac, or other snack at Sam's or WM on this road. Traffic fast in SLP, but a few topes in one place at the exit.

[Explorador]

Unfortunately, I didn't understand that description. Is it like my original map showed? I don't want to be hassled by cops either.

[AlanMexicali]

We always take this, as the road is so much better now, and there is even ample room, at times, to pass. About 22 minutes in these mountains (but we have traveled this road maybe 50 times in 14 years) More options for a Big Mac, or other snack at Sam's or WM on this road. Traffic fast in SLP, but a few topes in one place at the exit.

We travelled both routes to Lagos de Moreno. San Juan de Lagos, Aguascaliente or Guadalajara and the last few times I have timed it since the new cuota [Mx 80] has opened and save about 25 or 30 minutes. 90 minutes to Aguascaliente not 2 hours the other route and 4 hours to Guadalajara at the Tonala exit [periferico] on the Mx. 80, not 4 /12 hours.

It is not as tricky as it appears once you get into SLP if you simply follow the confusing signs to get to the corner where Costco, Sam´s, McDonalds and Walmart are and now a large Fiesta Americana Inn with a shopping center including a Best Buy opening soon. We live up that blvd. [Chapultepec] from that corner in a newer hillside privada. Once at that corner you get on the freeway heading to Mx. 57 north and the traffic is never slow. You also get to see the westside of SLP which is the nice side. IMO.

[AlanMexicali]

Unfortunately, I didn't understand that description. Is it like my original map showed? I don't want to be hassled by cops either.

Yes it is this map route from Guadalajara to Matehuala Jim and I are discussing the Mx 80 libre from the Aguascaliente interchange near Ojuelos except you have outlined the SLP periferico which is part of the confusing signs once you drop down into the city of SLP. The periferico is about 15 or so kilomters further than taking the freeway Jim mentioned by getting to the corner where all the big box stores are. Also the periferico is industrial and the trucks using it coming from Zacatecas going into SLP or further on have the highway in bad shape now, nothing interesting to see there. I never see Federal Police on this route once past the new Mx.80 cuota where there are many at times except the state police once in a blue moon, so far, on the Mx.80 libre.

[RVGRINGO]

We, in the past, used Rt 54 straight out of Guadalajara and theough Zacatecas, Saltillo, Monterrey and to Nuevo Laredo. I understand that the road is now much better and multi-lanes. It is obviously the most direct, shortest route and would now seem to be a good option.

[lobita]

Yes it is this map route from Guadalajara to Matehuala Jim and I are discussing the Mx 80 libre from the Aguascaliente interchange near Ojuelos except you have outlined the SLP periferico which is part of the confusing signs once you drop down into the city of SLP. The periferico is about 15 or so kilomters further than taking the freeway Jim mentioned by getting to the corner where all the big box stores are. Also the periferico is industrial and the trucks using it coming from Zacatecas going into SLP or further on have the highway in bad shape now, nothing interesting to see there. I never see Federal Police on this route once past the new Mx.80 cuota where there are many at times except the state police once in a blue moon, so far, on the Mx.80 libre.

Wait, Alan, are you sure? The road labeled on the map as 'Periferico' is not the one Explorador has outlined -- it's the outer loop. I see no more direct way to enter SLP on 80 and exit on 57 than the route he has.

Is the map wrong? Or am I missing something?

[Mainecoons]

Our group of motorcycle riders went up 54 not that long ago. A lot of bad pavement near GDL on the north side, most definitely still just two lanes and it would be slow for the first part through the mountains as there is little opportunity for cars to pass. We had fun with it, of course, because the "twisties" are what we go for and motorcycles can pass much easier than cars.

Much easier to go to Texas via Pharr IMO. Basically, all the roads on this route are good or better now. We make the border in 10 hours and stay overnight in Pharr where a decent hotel room is much cheaper than it is in Laredo.

[AlanMexicali]

Wait, Alan, are you sure? The road labeled on the map as 'Periferico' is not the one Explorador has outlined -- it's the outer loop. I see no more direct way to enter SLP on 80 and exit on 57 than the route he has.

Is the map wrong? Or am I missing something?

You are correct he did have the purple marker going on the freeway, sorry I missed that. It is the freeway that parallels the blvd. called Salvador Nava.

[lobita]

Oh, okay -- your reply had quoted his reference to the first map so that was the one I was looking at. I think that original route is the same one you're talking about, as part of it is labeled Salvador Nava Martinez ...

[RickS]

We, in the past, used Rt 54 straight out of Guadalajara and theough Zacatecas, Saltillo, Monterrey and to Nuevo Laredo. I understand that the road is now much better and multi-lanes. It is obviously the most direct, shortest route and would now seem to be a good option.

RV, I don't think I'd send a 'first time' border traveler up that way unless it truly has been upgraded. I haven't tried it for many years when it was 2-lane all the way; and because of that (curvey roads) it actually is not shorter than going up to Zacatecas and then to Saltillo using the cuota system.