Tráfico por ‘vieja’ vía a la Costa ya bajó 35%: ¿qué hará el Norte?
La dueña de un hotel en la vía tradicional a la Costa, en Yarumal, tuvo que cerrar 33 de sus 50 habitaciones. El golpe llegó en menos de tres semanas:...
TL;DR
- Businesses on the traditional highway to the coast are facing severe economic impacts due to a new route.
- A hotel in Yarumal closed 33 out of 50 rooms because business dropped from full occupancy to five rooms per week.
- Traffic flow on the old road has decreased by 35% in just 15 days since the new route opened.
- Some merchants are adapting by focusing on the domestic market and repurposing closed spaces, like turning hotel rooms into storage.
- The new route, which passes through Vegachí and Remedios, has five tolls, increasing costs for users.
- Daily traffic on the old corridor has fallen from an average of 4,649 vehicles to 4,056.
- The decline is most noticeable in cargo vehicles and intercity/tour buses, with private vehicles preferring the new route during holidays.
- Traditional establishments like the parador Santa Rosa have seen a significant reduction in buses and vehicles.
- Truck drivers find the new route's time savings insignificant compared to the high cost of tolls, which can range from $250,000 to $270,000 per trip.
- Local transporters within municipalities have benefited from reduced travel times.
- Insecurity in northern Antioquia is also a factor contributing to the potential decrease in traffic on the old route.
- Merchants were unprepared for the sudden shift in traffic, lacking contingency plans.