San Diegans who were thinking of travelling to Ensenada during the first days of January will have to take the free road instead of the toll-scenic road due to a collapse occurred in the last days of December.

The collapse happened around kilometer 93 of the Tijuana-Ensenada scenic toll-road in the first minutes of Saturday, Dec. 28; days after a 4.6 earthquake struck the area.

Antonio Gutierrez Lugo, state coordinator for the Federal Police in Baja California, said that starting at midnight of Saturday the highway was closed to heavy trucks and later at 3 a.m., it was completely shutdown to all traffic, sending it to the free road.

Finally, around 6 a.m. a 300-meter segment of the road collapsed in both directions near kilometer 93.

State authorities are recommending several alternate routes to those traveling from and to Ensenada.

If you want to go from south to north that is from Ensenada to Tijuana, you need to take the free road and enter the toll-road in La Mision or continue on the free road all the way to Tijuana.

If you’re travelling from north to south, from Tijuana to Ensenada, you will exit the toll-road in La Mision to enter the free road to Ensenada, through the small town known as El Tigre.

Another alternative is to take Federal Highway 3, Tecate-Ensenada, or to take the Ensenada-San Felipe highway if you’re travelling to Mexicali.

“Ensenada is not isolated,” said Baja California Governor Francisco “Kiko” Vega during a visit to the damaged area in recent days.

The governor said that the state would make all the necessary work to restore this important communication route in the least amount of time possible with the goal of minimizing the effects to the population, including the commercial and tourist sectors in Ensenada.

Vega de Lamadrid made the visit with Ensenada Mayor Gilberto Hirata Chico.

Although authorities reported no injuries or accidents on the highway, the Tourism Department of Baja California recommends taking precautions, obeying signs, and directions from emergency personnel working on the detour area to help with traffic.

To get more information about tourist activity in Ensenada, and in the rest of the state, the Tourism Department has an information and help line at 078.

Among the immediate solutions include opening a provisional road or create extra lanes in some areas of the free road Tijuana-Ensenada.

The most affected industry by the collapsed highway by far will be tourism from California, since most tourists take the scenic road. Also, January is when whale-watching season begins in Ensenada. Also, it will affect tourism to Valle de Guadalupe, which is famous for its wines.