Background and Relevance of the Mex 15-D Toll Road
The Mex 15-D toll road, spanning just 12,140 meters, connects Nogales International Airport to La Mariposa, the most crucial border crossing in northwest Mexico. Despite its modest length, this road has been a valuable asset that the Sonora government has inexplicably neglected to capitalize on.
History of the Toll Road
After building and maintaining the road for only six years, the Sonora government transferred the concession in 2006 to a private consortium, Vías Concesionadas del Norte. This group had been involved in the project as a “fideicomitent adherente.” Due to the inability to recoup their investment, they demanded an extension of the original title’s validity, which would allow them to operate the toll road until April 20, 2028.
The Arrival of the Fourth Transformation
In 2022, under Governor Alfonso Durazo Montaño’s administration, the concession was revoked due to insufficient maintenance. However, this move was more symbolic than genuine, as the government retained 49% of the concessionary’s shares. A year later, these shares came under the control of Nogamex, a recently established company with no prior experience in the sector and led by entrepreneur Daniel Madariaga Barrilado, alongside ex-Quintana Roo Governor Alfredo del Mazo and former Presidential Legal Counsel Julio Scherer Ibarra.
Extended Concession and Implications
Nogamex now operates the toll road, collecting tolls from both its periphery and customs lanes. They also secured an extension of the concession term from SICT head Jorge Nuño Lara, effectively doubling the original 50-year limit set by the Federal Highways, Roads, and Transportation Law. This extension grants Nogamex the right to exploit this strategic road until 2058.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
According to attorney Paulo Díez Gargari, the concession transfer and extension are illegal, updating one or more offenses already reported to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. He highlights that the previous concessionaire was significantly failing to meet their obligations, a fact known by both SICT and Jorge Nuño Lara. Díez Gargari asserts that revoking the concession was the appropriate course of action.
Nogamex’s Performance and Funding
As Nogamex enters its first year as the toll road’s operator, it has fallen short of its primary mission: restoring the Mex 15-D’s physical condition. Governor Durazo Montaño is now seeking a budgetary expansion for the border corridor’s maintenance, both at Palacio Nacional and SICT headquarters.
Secondary Effects: High Demand for Election Observers
High Demand:
For the 2018 presidential elections, the National Electoral Institute (INE) accredited over 38,000 observers. For the upcoming election on June 1, authorities received 316,498 requests but only accredited 139,538 three days before the historic vote. There were 48,360 denials due to applicants’ affiliations with political parties, government agencies, or candidacies.
