The Arco Norte (lit.: Northern Arc), designated and signed as Federal Highway M40D, is a toll road in Mexico. It serves as a bypass around Greater Mexico City and currently links the Mexico-Puebla toll road on the east with the Mexico-Guadalajara toll road on the west.

Federal Highway M40D shield
Federal Highway M40D
Carretera federal M40D
Autopista Arco Norte
Libramiento Norte del Valle de México
Route information
Maintained by Impulsora del Desarrollo y el Empleo en América Latina (IDEAL)
Length223 km (139 mi)
Major junctions
West end Fed. 15D / Fed. 55 / Fed. 55D at Atlacomulco, State of Mexico
Major intersections Fed. 57D near Jilotepec de Abasolo, State of Mexico
Fed. 85 to Fed. 85D northeast of Tizayuca, Hidalgo
Fed. 132D / Fed. 132 near Tepeapulco, Hidalgo
Fed. 136 near Sanctórum, Tlaxcala
Fed. 117D to Fed. 117 near San Martín Texmelucan, Puebla
East end Fed. 150D at San Martín Texmelucan, Puebla
Location
CountryMexico
Highway system

The toll in 2017 for the entire 223 kilometres (139 mi) stretch of highway is 405 pesos.[1]

Route description

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The highway begins east of Mexico City at Mexican Federal Highway 150D, near San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida, which lies just inside Puebla state. The highway has two lanes in each direction and begins northward through low mountains at 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above sea level. It continues through the western side of Tlaxcala state, then through the area where the states of Mexico and Hidalgo border each other, at about 2,400 m (7,900 ft) above sea level. The highway bends to the west, with few exits in the area. It serves few large population centers. As it reaches Tula, the area is greener and lies about 2,400 m (7,900 ft) above sea level. Then it rises to about 2400 m and meets the Mexico-Querétaro toll road, where it ended upon the opening of its first phase of 169 kilometres (105 mi) in 2009. A second phase of 54 kilometres (34 mi) opened two years later, extending the road west and south to Atlacomulco and the junction with Mexican Federal Highway 15D toward Guadalajara.

History

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Construction of the Arco Norte began on February 28, 2006. The first phase opened in July 2009 (between the Autopista Mexico-Puebla and the Autopista Mexico-Querétaro, 169 km [105 mi]).[2] The second phase to Atlacomulco was formally opened on May 3, 2011.[3]

Junctions

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  Autopista Mexico City-Puebla

  San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida 

  Sanctórum 

  Calpulalpan 

  Tepeapulco 

  Nopaltepec 

  Tizayuca 

  Ajoloapan 

  Atitalaquia 

  Tula 

  Tula-Norte 

  Autopista Mexico City-Querétaro

  Jilotepec de Abasolo 

  Acambay 

  Mexican Federal Highway 15D/Mexican Federal Highway 57, Mexican Federal Highway 55, Mexican Federal Highway 55D, Atlacomulco

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References

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  1. ^ calculadora viaje | arconorte.com.mx, accessed 18 February 2017
  2. ^ información - El Arco Norte | www.arconorte.com.mx Archived August 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Olguín, Israel (3 May 2011). "Calderón y Peña inauguran último tramo del Arco Norte". El Universal Estado de México. Retrieved 18 February 2017.