Arco Norte

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.

The toll in 2017 for the entire 223 km stretch of highway is 405 pesos.

Route description
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 2500 m 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 2400 m 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 2400 m 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 km in 2009. A second phase of 54 km opened two years later, extending the road west and south to Atlacomulco and the junction with Mexican Federal Highway 15D toward Guadalajara.

History
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). The second phase to Atlacomulco was formally opened on May 3, 2011.

Junctions
Autopista Mexico City-Puebla

Autopista Mexico City-Querétaro

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