The Autopista México-Puebla (English: Mexico–Puebla toll road) is a toll highway approximately long that connects Mexico City with the city of Puebla, crossing the eastern part of the State of Mexico. Officially, it is part of Federal Highway 150D, serving as the main route between the center of the country and southeastern Mexico.

History The Autopista México–Puebla was inaugurated on May 5, 1962, by President Adolfo López Mateos, with an initial investment of over 220 million pesos. The highway was opened as part of the commemorations for the centennial of the Battle of Puebla. During construction, more than 9 million cubic meters of material were moved in the Llano Grande and Río Frío areas of Ixtapaluca, State of Mexico. This route significantly shortened travel times between Puebla and Mexico City, replacing the old Federal Highway 150. The highway's development was a key factor in the 1965 establishment of the Volkswagen automotive plant in San Lorenzo Almecatla, Puebla.

In the 1980s, the original dirt and vegetation median was replaced with high-resistance concrete barriers, particularly in the high-altitude Río Frío section. In 1997, following the insolvency of several concessionaires after the 1994 economic crisis, the highway was integrated into the FARAC (Trust for the Support of the Rescue of Concessioned Highways) model, along with other major national routes.

2010s Between 2015 and May 2016, major maintenance was conducted from kilometer 32 to 63 (stretching from the edge of the Ixtapaluca urban area to Río Frío). These works involved replacing the old asphalt with 34-centimeter-thick concrete slabs. On October 13, 2016, a 14.2-kilometer section (from km 17 to km 30) was expanded to 12 lanes, connecting Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza to the first toll plaza at a cost of MX$2.3 billion.

On October 18, 2016, during the administration of Enrique Peña Nieto, an elevated viaduct (locally known as the segundo piso) was inaugurated in Puebla. The 15.3-kilometer structure begins at the Volkswagen plant and ends near the Estadio Cuauhtémoc (km 115 to km 128), with a total cost of MX$10.5 billion. in December 2017, the concession title was legally modified to allow FONADIN to use toll revenues as a guarantee for stock market bonds (monetization). The officially concessioned section spans 97.06 km.

2020s On August 6, 2024, ejidatarios from Santa Rita Tlahuapan blocked both directions of the highway between kilometers 70 and 74, demanding unpaid compensation for land expropriated in 1958. The blockade lasted 90 hours, ending on August 10 after agreements were signed to review land appraisals.

In February 2024, the concessionaire Aleatica confirmed a massive investment of over 530 million pesos for the maintenance and functional expansion of the elevated viaduct in Puebla. The agreement included a one-time contribution of 45 million pesos and annual payments of 5 million pesos for the upkeep of the lower level, which experiences the most significant wear.

In early 2025, the government of the State of Puebla issued a tender (SPFA-OP-LPE-2025-034) for the maintenance of various sections connecting to the viaduct. The scheduled works included deep patching, joint sealing, and asphalt resurfacing. By August 2025, the projects were allocated a minimum capital of 7.6 million pesos with a 90-day execution period.

Route description

La Concordia Interchange

The Autopista México–Puebla begins at the La Concordia Interchange or Zaragoza – Texcoco Interchange in the Iztapalapa borough of Mexico City. Inaugurated on December 16, 2007, by then-Head of Government Marcelo Ebrard and the Governor of the State of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, the interchange bridges span 3,737 meters (12,260 ft). Its construction required an investment of 1.05 billion pesos. The interchange serves as the primary connection between Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza and the Federal Highway 150D, located just south of the Santa Marta multimodal station.

La Concordia–San Marcos Huixtoco section After leaving the La Concordia interchange, the highway expands to 12 lanes, traversing the eastern part of the Mexico City metropolitan area. From Santa Marta to Chalco, the center of the highway hosts Trolleybus Line 11, flanked by the municipalities of Chalco and Ixtapaluca. In the Ixtapaluca area, it connects with Mexican Federal Highway 115 and the Circuito Exterior Mexiquense (State Highway 5D). The section ends at the San Marcos toll plaza, operated by CAPUFE.

San Marcos Huixtoco–Santa Rita Tlahuapan section In this six-lane section, the highway crosses the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (Sierra Nevada), a stretch characterized by sharp curves and pine forests. Around kilometer 63, the route passes south of the town of Río Frío de Juárez. After crossing the border between the State of Mexico and Puebla, the highway begins a continuous descent toward the Puebla-Tlaxcala Valley. The town of Santa Rita Tlahuapan is located near kilometer 71.

Santa Rita Tlahuapan–Puebla section Descending from the Sierra Nevada and the Río Frío area, the highway enters the state of Puebla through the municipality of Santa Rita Tlahuapan. The road layout transitions from sharp curves to a straighter, flatter path. Heading southeast, at approximately kilometer 91, the highway reaches San Martín Texmelucan. At kilometer 92, it intersects with the Arco Norte (M40D) and the San Martín–Cholula state road. The San Martín toll plaza is located at kilometer 97, followed by the access road to the Puebla International Airport at kilometer 101. At kilometer 108, an interchange connects to the town of San Miguel Xoxtla. Before entering northern Puebla and merging into the elevated viaduct, it connects with the Anillo Periférico Ecológico (Highway 190) and Highway 119D at kilometer 114.

Puebla Elevated Viaduct

Starting at kilometer 115, the highway splits into two levels via the Puebla Elevated Viaduct (Spanish: Viaducto Elevado de Puebla), or the Puebla Elevated Bypass (Spanish: Libramiento Elevado de Puebla) popularly known as the segundo piso (second floor). Inaugurated in 2016, this 15.3-kilometer (9.5 mi) structure was designed to separate express transit from local Puebla traffic. The viaduct begins after the Anillo Periférico Ecológico interchange, passing the Volkswagen de México plant. It traverses the municipalities of Cuautlancingo and Puebla, ending near the Estadio Cuauhtémoc at kilometer 129.

Tolls

The highway has two main toll plazas, both operated by Caminos y Puentes Federales (CAPUFE). The first, San Marcos, is located at kilometer 33 and serves as the transition point between the Chalco Valley and the ascent into the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Due to its proximity to Mexico City, it experiences high traffic volume during peak hours and weekends. The toll for passenger cars is MX$173.

The second plaza, San Martín, is situated at kilometer 97. The toll for passenger cars at this location is MX$53.

Safety and incidents The Autopista México–Puebla is knows as the most dangerous roadways in Mexico, mostly because of traversal of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (Sierra Nevada). The high-altitude section near Río Frío de Juárez presents significant geographical and meteorological challenges, including steep continuous gradients, sharp curves, and frequent adverse weather conditions such as dense fog, rain, and occasionally freezing temperatures.

The westbound descent from the Sierra Nevada into the Chalco Valley is particularly notorious for high accident rates. The steep downgrade forces heavy cargo trucks to rely extensively on their braking systems for prolonged periods, leading to frequent brake failures. The stretch approaching the San Marcos toll plaza at kilometer 33 has been the site of numerous severe collisions, which is the reason why federal authorities have installed multiple runaway truck ramps along the route.

One of the deadliest incidents in the highway's history occurred on November 6, 2021. The brakes on a tractor-trailer transporting flammable chemical base liquids failed on the long descent and crashed at high speed into the San Marcos toll plaza and six passenger vehicles. The collision sparked a massive fire that completely engulfed the vehicles, resulting in 19 fatalities and several injuries. Following the disaster, federal authorities faced renewed public pressure to implement stricter mechanical inspections and speed controls for heavy transport vehicles operating on the steep downgrade.

Junction list State Location mi km Destinations Notes Mexico City Iztapalapa 10.6 17 Zaragoza - Texcoco Interchange (La Concordia Interchange) Western terminus; highway continues west as Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza. 12.4 20 La Virgen station Elevated Trolleybus station. 14.3 23 Parque de la Mujer station Elevated Trolleybus station. 16.2 26 Puente Rojo station Elevated Trolleybus station. 16.8 27 Puente Blanco station Elevated Trolleybus station. State of Mexico Valle de Chalco 19.9 32 – Chalco, Cuautla Connection via Federal Highway 115. Chalco 20.2 32.5 Circuito Exterior Mexiquense – Toluca, Querétaro Outer toll bypass of Greater Mexico City. 20.5 33 San Marcos Toll Plaza Main toll plaza. Ixtapaluca 22.4 36 Runaway truck ramp Eastbound descent only. 24.2 39 Runaway truck ramp Eastbound descent only. 29.2 47 Runaway truck ramp Eastbound descent only. 31.7 51 Runaway truck ramp Eastbound descent only. 34.8 56 Llano Grande Local access to mountain park area. 39.1 63 – Río Frío de Juárez Connection via free Highway 150. 39.8 64 State of Mexico / Puebla border Mountain summit boundary. Puebla Tlahuapan 42.3 68 El Pipirín Local access. 46.0 74 Santa Rita Tlahuapan Municipal seat access. 47.8 77 State road – San Rafael Ixtapalucan Connection to free Highway 150. 48.5 78 State road – San Antonio Chautla Access to Ex-Hacienda de Chautla. San Martín Texmelucan 56.5 91 San Martín Texmelucan Interchange Access to city center. 57.2 92 (Arco Norte) / San Martín–Cholula road – Querétaro, Atlacomulco Major bypass junction around Greater Mexico City. 60.3 97 San Martín Toll Plaza Main toll plaza. Huejotzingo 60.9 98 State road – Santa Ana Xalmimilulco, San Miguel Xochitecatitla Local connection. 62.8 101 Puebla International Airport access road Airport link. San Miguel Xoxtla 67.1 108 San Miguel Xoxtla Interchange Access to industrial zones and Xoxtla center. Coronango 70.8 114 Anillo Periférico Ecológico / – Tlaxcala Puebla's outer ring road and toll connection to Puebla–Tlaxcala Highway. Puebla 71.5 115 Segundo Piso de Puebla Western terminus of the elevated toll viaduct bypass. 72.7 117 – Tlaxcala, Puebla Center Exit via Av. Carmen Serdán / Blvd. Hermanos Serdán; access to CAPU bus terminal. 75.2 121 – Santa Ana Chiautempan, Apizaco Exit via Vía Corta a Tlaxcala; access to Central de Abasto. 78.3 126 – Puebla Center, Orizaba Distribuidor Ignacio Zaragoza; eastern terminus of the Autopista México-Puebla. Main line continues east as Autopista Puebla-Orizaba (Fed 150D). 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Indicates toll road or toll collection point

References