MND Local: Jalisco’s skyrocketing measles cases and updates on Guadalajara’s new bus line construction
Construction teams are now in a race against time to complete key mass transit initiatives to connect the Guadalajara International Airport to the metro area’s existing infrastructure network, with the World Cup kicking off in less than eight weeks.
In other news, state fines went up a bit if you’re caught using a mobile device while driving, Zapopan’s Centinela Forest may get environmentally protected status and federal authorities have reported that Jalisco is the state with the highest number of total measles cases in 2026.
Construction update on new transport lines to GDL airport
This spring, significant progress has been made on the new Line 5 of Guadalajara’s Macrobús, known as the Macro Airport line, running along the Chapala highway. However, there is still severe traffic congestion around the entrance to the Guadalajara International Airport, especially during peak hours.
Last October, the Secretary of Infrastructure and Public Works of Jalisco, David Zamora Bueno, confirmed that the Guadalajara International Airport station for Line 5 of Guadalajara’s light rail system would be located on the airport grounds and not on the Chapala Highway, as initially planned.
Moving the station onto airport property was intended to ensure that visitors could transfer from the platform to the terminal quickly and safely. But this plan required building an overpass from the Chapala Highway dedicated to buses.
Work on this new overpass is still a long way from being finished. Lately, it’s been the main cause of traffic delays heading into the Guadalajara airport. About 500 meters from the airport’s entrance, traffic has been reduced from six lanes to three, causing backups that can stretch for kilometers on weekdays.
As of last weekend, when this reporter surveyed the progress in person, there were a few pylons in place, a dirt ramp and little else to suggest a future overpass.
Off airport grounds, six of the eight planned bus stations along the Chapala Highway are nearly finished, including La Gigantera, La Piedrera, San José del 15, and Montenegro. This piece of the work, which is integral to the Line 5 project, has a committed delivery date of the end of April.
Further north, where the Chapala Highway meets the Periférico (Guadalajara’s ring road), another overpass is under construction and causing a separate bottleneck for vehicles headed south from the city. This new structure will eventually connect Line 5 to Mi Macro Periférico transit service.
Authorities are increasingly coy regarding the expected completion date of the entire project, saying in recent weeks only that it “could be” completed before the World Cup starts.
Jalisco’s measles cases accelerated sharply in 2026
Despite Jalisco’s efforts to expand vaccination access, the state’s measles infection rate has accelerated sharply in 2026 compared to last year.
Through April 10, Jalisco has recorded three deaths from measles this year, and 5,282 confirmed cases, according to the Federal Health Ministry. For all of 2025, Jalisco had 665 confirmed cases.
A look at the top five states for total measles cases in 2026. Jalisco has taken the unenviable top spot away from Chihuahua, thanks to a major reduction in the northern state’s cases. (Hover over a state’s bar to see numbers not visible.)
The most recent death, on March 24, was a 24-year-old Tonalá man who was not vaccinated. He was the first adult to die from measles here since the outbreak began last year.
While Mexico’s earliest measles cases occurred in the northern state of Chihuahua, the disease has since spread to all of Mexico’s 32 states. Jalisco has now become the Mexican state with the highest number of infections, accounting for 60% of Mexico’s total cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The virus typically infects unvaccinated children and adults, as well as people with weakened immune systems. An infection typically starts like many other viral infections, with a high fever, nasal congestion, red eyes and cough. If not treated promptly, it can progress from a severe rash to life-threatening complications.
Given the escalating problem, local health officials are stepping up their statewide vaccination campaign, urging citizens to get the shots, and conducting epidemiological surveillance to identify and contain new cases.
Zapopan’s Centinela Forest may gain protected status
The Environmental and Sustainability Commission of the Jalisco State Congress voted a few weeks ago to designate the 254-hectare El Bosque Centinela a Natural Protected Area (ANP). The Zapopan City Council presented the initiative in an effort to protect the public park from development.
During the session, Tonantzin Cárdenas, a legislator from the state political party Futuro, highlighted the importance of protecting this still-wooded area of Zapopan, as well as other valuable green spaces that lack protection, like Parque Eca Do Queiroz along Avenida Patria.
“The El Centinela and Cañadas forest… represent a vital lung for Jalisco. It borders the Nixticuil Forest, which, unfortunately, has been lacerated and sacrificed for green and real estate development,” he said.
But the effort is not yet a done deal. For El Bosque Centinela to become a Natural Protected Area, it must still be voted on in a plenary session of the state Congress.
Fines rise for improper cellphone use while driving
Following the introduction of fines last year for the use of mobile devices while driving, the state government has increased the penalties by roughly 3.7%.
The increase, which took effect on February 1, is based on an update of Mexico’s Unit of Measurement and Update (UMA), a federally determined value used by governments to calculate fines, taxes and other civil charges. The UMA is currently 117.31 pesos, up from 113.13 pesos last year.
The new penalties for using a cell phone while driving range from 1,759 to 2,932 pesos, depending on the severity of the offense.
According to Jalisco Traffic Police Commissioner Jorge Alberto Arizpe García, approximately 27,706 drivers were sanctioned for mobile use while driving in 2025. Through February 2 of this year, more than 2,400 additional fines have been assessed.
Which behaviors can earn drivers a fine? Any of the following:
- Holding the phone in your hand to talk, text or use an application (social media, GPS, etc.).
- Interacting with the device even when not talking, e.g. texting or touching the screen.
- Using any electronic device not integrated into the vehicle that requires touch.
These activities are not only a violation when driving but also when the vehicle is stopped at a traffic light or stop sign. Drivers may still use mobile devices with a headset, through integration with their vehicle or when fully parked.
MND Writer Dawn Stoner is reporting from Guadalajara.
The post MND Local: Jalisco’s skyrocketing measles cases and updates on Guadalajara’s new bus line construction appeared first on Mexico News Daily
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