The rebuilt La Desembocada Bridge officially opened on Thursday, May 14, 2026, restoring a critical section of State Highway 544 that connects Puerto Vallarta with inland Jalisco communities and the route to Guadalajara.
The new structure, measuring more than 100 meters in length, replaces a bridge that was severely damaged following a February 22 incident. Construction began in early March and was completed in just over two months at a cost of nearly 80 million pesos.
During the inauguration ceremony, Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro, Secretary of Infrastructure David Miguel Zamora Bueno, and Mayor Luis Munguía highlighted the bridge’s importance for rural mobility. The project includes pedestrian walkways, street lighting, traffic signals, and modern safety improvements.
The bridge is expected to directly benefit more than 6,000 families in nearby communities, including Las Palmas, La Desembocada, El Colorado, Ecoterra, El Cantón, and El Aguacate. For visitors, the reopening restores full road access between Puerto Vallarta and destinations such as Mascota and Talpa de Allende, two historic towns in the Sierra Madre mountains.
Travelers heading inland should note that ground transportation options include rental cars, private shuttles, and regional bus services, all of which now flow across the permanent span instead of the temporary bridge used during construction.
