Geraldo Bautista Mejía tells Laguna he does not agree with the design and construction of the infamous intersection created by the state agency SIOP. He also confirms there is no legal way into Walmart from the East
Photo: Director of Chapala Movilidad, Geraldo Bautista Mejía.
Patrick O’Heffernan, Ajijic, and Arturo Ortega (Chapala). Director of Chapala Movilidad, Geraldo Bautista Mejía disagrees with the design and execution of the infamous “Walmart intersection” where the Libramiento, the Carretera and the entrances to Walmart, and the shops of Centro de Laguna all come together.
“Everything is wrong with the Walmart intersection:, he told Laguna in an early morning interview over a cup of tea. “We only wanted three lights; now there are so many, much too many,” he said.
When asked specifically about questions posted by citizens on social media , his answers were clear – right now drivers can’t do what seems simply logical. He said that it is not legal now for people to turn left into the Walmart parking lot from the eastbound lanes of the Carretera – in other words, you can’t get into Walmart from Chapala or San Antonio Tlayacapan.
He also told Laguna that the option of going straight into the Walmart parking entrance from the left lane of the Libramiento is not legal – something he wants the state to change. Nor is it legal to take the turn lane from the Libramiento and turn in any direction but right onto the Carretera – in other words, you cannot enter Walmart legally from the east or the Libramiento. He said he wants to change that.
He put the blame for the consuming intersection squarely on SIOP, who designed and built the intersection with little input from the Chapala municipalidad. He said that the intersection was rebuilt because of all the complaints and accidents. He noted that during Holy Week there were only flashing traffic lights but the result was very slow traffic, so SIOP reprogrammed the lights as they are now to speed up the flow of cars. He stressed that only SIOP can program the traffic lights.
Hopefully help is on the way, according to Bautista Mejía, when The Site Representative from SIOP visits the intersection next week.
“ In eight days José Pablo Dávalos Cervantes, of SIOP will visit the intersection and see the problem fresh and maybe fix it with lights or signs” , Bautista Mejía, told Laguna. He continued, saying that he would ask the Municipal President of Chapala to accompany José Pablo Dávalos on the visit.
He told Laguna that after the final changes and corrections are made to the intersection, responsibility for its maintenance and operation will revert to Chapala, and he will be responsible for it. He is determined to make it work.
“I want to do it right,” he told Laguna forcefully, hoping that he is not handed a mess to clean up and that he can operate it for safety and a good traffic flow.
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