Calzada Flotante, Bosque de Chapultepec

The Calzada Flotante, the “floating causeway,” is a 2023 project to connect the two biggest sections of Chapultepec in an environmentally responsible way. The new causeway opened in January and connects Section 1, at the Los Pinos Cultural Complex, with Section 2 at the Avenida de los Compositores. Prior to the opening of the causeway, it was virtually impossible to walk from one section to the other.

The path stretches some 248 meters. In a curving arc, the walkway embraces some of the 474 trees planted as part of the project. Another 115 had to be moved to make way. In its elevated sections, the causeway rests on some 26 steel columns. Most distinctive, though, are the eyelets opened to permit existing trees to continue to grow. The columns permit passage over and under the couple of busy highways that used to block passage for pedestrians.

The design was by artist Gabriel Orozco who is in charge of the master plan for the full 41 projects and interventions intended to better integrate and preserve the Chapultepec Forest. Orozco used circles and impressions based on sensory experience. But he also worked to respect the affected ecosystems. Projects slated to be complete by 2024 span the length and breadth of all four sections of the park.

The Chapultepec Nature and Culture Master Plan calls for converting the forest into a sustainable biocultural space. It include a comprehensive mobility plan between the sections and between park and city. The plan also aims to expand and strengthen the cultural infrastructure while providing a safe, diverse, and inclusive public space.

The Section 1 entrance to the Calzada flotante is roughly a ten-minute walk north from Metro Constituyentes. From points further east in Section 1, those walking should follow the Calzada del Rey. The section 1 entrance is just outside the Museo Cencalli in the recognizable Molino del Rey building.