How Clogged Drains Make Tulum’s Pothole Problem Harder to See

An emergency Tulum pothole repair program is working through the streets most damaged by recent rains, and crews move into Ejido, Avenida Kukulcán, Calle Osiris, and Avenida Okot on Saturday, October 24.

The Tulum City Council launched the program to fix the roads in the worst condition and reduce the risk of crashes for drivers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians, said José Audomaro Pacheco Solís, director general of Public Services.

For anyone who gets around Tulum by car, by motorcycle, or on foot, the schedule is the useful part. The council has laid out which neighborhoods crews will cover and when, so residents can see when work is expected on the streets they use every day and which areas come later.

A Tulum pothole repair calendar that runs into November

Through October 23, crews concentrated on the coastal zone and part of Centro, Pacheco Solís said. The next stages are set by date:

• October 24 to 27: the Ejido neighborhood, Avenida Kukulcán, Calle Osiris, and Avenida Okot.
• October 28 to 31: Centro, Cancha Maya, and Lakín.
• November 3: the Maya Pax neighborhood.

Centro appears twice. Part of the neighborhood was covered in the first stage, and crews are scheduled to return there at the end of the month.

Heavy traffic and the largest holes set the order

The repairs are being done in stages because the rains left damage across the city. Priority goes to the areas with the most traffic and to the points where residents have reported the largest potholes.

The council did not release a total count of streets or potholes included in the program.

La Veleta joins the list as the scheduled work advances

Reports from neighborhoods outside the calendar will also be handled. Pacheco Solís named La Veleta among them and said those repairs will be addressed as crews move through the scheduled stages.

Weather is the main variable. The pace of the work will depend on conditions, he said, so the dates may move if more rain arrives.

Blocked drains can turn a pothole into a hidden hazard

The city's request to residents centers on drainage. When trash and debris clog storm drains and sewers, water stays on the street. Those puddles can cover potholes and increase the chance of an accident, according to Pacheco Solís.

He asked residents to keep streets clean, avoid throwing waste on public roads, and report spots where water collects. The council describes those steps as part of its preventive work to improve road conditions while the repairs continue.

A driver or a motorcyclist can steer around a pothole in plain sight. One: understanding water is harder to judge, which is why the city is pairing the asphalt work with a cleanup request.

If the weather holds, crews reach Maya Pax on November 3, the last date on the current calendar. La Veleta and other neighborhoods with pending reports will be addressed after the scheduled streets are finished.

Which street in your Tulum neighborhood should pothole crews reach first? Join the conversation and share your perspective with us on Instagram and Facebook at @thetulumtimes.