24 hours later, protesters are still blocking the Mexico-Toluca highway

The blockade of the Mexico City-Toluca highway passed the 24-hour mark Wednesday morning, causing severe delays and kilometer-long lines as hundreds of motorists were prevented from reaching the capital. 

The protest is taking place at kilometer 48+500 in Lerma in the Mexico City-bound lanes, near the Constituyentes interchange. It is the work of relatives of missing persons, who are demanding a formal dialogue with Mexico state Attorney General José Luis Cervantes Martínez to discuss unresolved cases

The closure started in both directions on Tuesday around 11:00 a.m. and continued through the night even as temperatures dropped and rain fell on protesters. The Toluca-bound side of the highway reopened on Tuesday afternoon.  

The protesters have let vehicles pass for brief periods, allowing some to continue their journeys, although the road remains heavily congested. Some truck drivers, stranded overnight, were forced to sleep in their vehicles. 

The blockade is said to be led by the Flores en el Corazón (Flowers in the Heart) collective, as well as members of the Madres Mariposas Buscadoras (Searching Butterfly Mothers) and Buscando Justicia (Searching for Justice) groups. 

Families are seeking detailed information about more than 40 disappearance cases, some of which have remained unsolved for over a decade.

The remaining duration of the blockade is uncertain and will largely depend on negotiations between the collectives and the authorities of México state. Meetings were held with authorities from the Attorney General’s Office of México state early on Wednesday morning, but no agreement was reached to end the blockade. 

There have been numerous reports on social media of violent clashes between motorists and protesters over the ongoing closure. 

There have been additional reports of a blockade on the alternative Libramiento Bicentenario (Bicentennial Bypass) route near Xonacatlán.

Alternatie routes to avoid the blockade 

Motorists heading from Toluca to Mexico City are advised to use alternative routes and check traffic reports before leaving, with heavy congestion expected due to detours. 

Alternative routes include:

• The Toluca-Naucalpan Highway
• The Mexico-Toluca toll-free highway misses the closed section of the toll highway.
• The State Tenango-La Marquesa Highway route bypasses the Lerma traffic bottleneck through the southern part of the state.
• Secondary roads through San Pedro Tultepec and San Pedro Cholula. 
• The Periférico northbound connects to the Naucalpan-Toluca highway.
• The Mexico-Toluca Interurban Train, known as El Insurgente, is operating at normal service and provides an alternative to driving, departing from stations in Toluca Centro, Metepec, and Lerma.