Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena launches Mérida metropolitan infrastructure plan

Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena inaugurated a series of citizen consultation forums on July 13‑20 to draft a comprehensive Plan of Water, Roads and Security for Mérida and its metropolitan area. The forums gather residents, academics, specialists, civil‑society groups and municipal officials to propose solutions for the region’s rapid growth – the city’s population rose almost 20 % and the metropolitan area 26 % between 2010 and 2020, with daily commuters exceeding 105,000.

The plan targets aging water infrastructure (pipes over 60 years old, only 24 % of the population connected to sanitary drainage), overloaded road networks and the need for expanded public‑security systems. It is backed by more than 37.5 billion pesos already invested in strategic works such as the expansion of the Port of Progreso and the Tren Maya freight line. Results from the forums will be compiled into a technical dossier and submitted to the state Congress to secure about 1.5 billion pesos of additional funding. The effort is coordinated among federal, state and municipal authorities and aims for transparency, with the technical file made publicly available.