Fifteen years is enough time to build far more than a motorway. It is enough time to get to know a country, accompany its transformation, and turn each challenge into experience for the next.
There is something of that in Ineco’s story in Mexico. The company began working in the country 25 years ago and has since delivered more than 40 transport and infrastructure projects. These include rail initiatives ranging from the Buenavista-Cuautitlán suburban railway to project management for the extension of Line 12 of the Mexico City Metro; acting as shadow operator and early operator for the Maya Train; serving as Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) for the Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo section; airport projects for GAP and OMA; the establishment of a remote centre supporting projects in Peru, Jamaica and Cabo Verde; and major road schemes involving the management and supervision of motorways.
Behind this track record are, above all, the people. Today, more than 70 Ineco professionals work in Mexico, including civil engineers, architects, telecommunications and electromechanical specialists, finance and legal experts, and administrative support staff. Together, they have built a shared body of experience, project by project.
One of the most significant chapters in this story is now coming to a close. For 15 years, Ineco has supported the operation of the Guadalajara-Colima Motorway, one of the longest-running and most important projects in the company’s international portfolio. During this period, the team has provided technical and operational supervision while supporting the evolution of a strategic transport corridor linking Guadalajara, Colima and the Port of Manzanillo.
"This project has enabled us to tackle new challenges and gain valuable knowledge, while also demonstrating the importance of technical and operational oversight focused on delivering results," explains Sarahi Silva, Operations Coordinator.
Over those years, the motorway itself has evolved significantly. When Ineco began its work in 2012, approximately 8,000 vehicles travelled along the route each day. By August 2026, when the company’s involvement came to an end, that figure had surpassed 15,000. Around 40% of the traffic consists of heavy vehicles, reflecting the strategic logistics role of a corridor connected to freight flows from the Port of Manzanillo.
The period also saw the completion of one of the route’s most significant upgrades: the mountain section, which has reduced journey times between Guadalajara and Colima by around half an hour.
Knowledge Travels Too
Fifteen years leave behind many things that do not appear on a map. Decisions made in the field, problems solved, ways of working refined, relationships built and experience accumulated. These are the elements that remain long after a contract ends.
"We are extremely proud of everything we have built together and we want to continue growing and working for the people of Mexico and Spain," says Miguel Blanco, Manager in the Americas Account.
That future is already taking shape. Another Ineco team is currently working on the Golfo Centro corridor for Banobras, a route that connects the centre of the country with the Gulf of Mexico. The project is focused on improving connectivity, traffic flow and road safety, facilitating movement through toll plazas and ensuring around-the-clock assistance services.
Two teams and two different moments in time, yet part of the same journey. One chapter concludes after 15 years; another continues to write the next pages. Connecting both is something difficult to quantify: the ability to carry lessons learned from one project into the next.
Over the past 25 years, Ineco has also taken part in railway, metropolitan transport, airport and road infrastructure projects that have accompanied the transformation of mobility across Mexico. Each has added another layer of expertise to a presence that has grown alongside the country itself.
Perhaps that is another way of understanding engineering. Infrastructure endures, projects begin and end, and teams change. What remains is the experience passed from one generation of professionals to the next, allowing every new journey to begin a little further ahead than the last.
