Tijuana keeps on plowing ahead with its colossal street renovations. Recently, 10 to 12 inches of asphalt were removed from Avenida Constitución, the street stripped down to sandy soil that hasn’t seen daylight for perhaps 70 years. Heaps of tar-oozing chunks are being moved out, to be replaced by a freeway-like surface of grooved concrete. A couple of streets have already received the concrete treatment, most notably Artículo 123 (First Street) and significant segments of Calle Benito Juárez (Second Street).

It has probably been more than half a century since Tijuana has seen so much renovation in infrastructure. Some of these projects were begun almost two years ago. A major renovation of Avenida Revolución was begun under former mayor Jorge Hank Rhon. The once ultra-wide Revolución was substantially narrowed and the sidewalks widened and lined with palm trees to make it more pedestrian-friendly.

Constitución is parallel to Revolución (one block west) and considered Tijuana’s main downtown drag for locals. It’s a street not often seen by tourists, yet its junction with Calle Benito Juárez marks the true gateway to the Zona Norte.