The Mexican Canal

I was looking at a map and there is a point in Mexico between Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz, where there is a natural break in the mountains and there is less than 150 miles between the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
Ok the title is misleading since it would not be possible to build a canal across Mexico, but ports and hydrocarbon terminals on either side with railroad tracks and pipelines connecting the two could effectively connect shipping in the Gulf and Pacific.

Plus by only going that far South instead of all the way to the Panama cannel, ships could shave more than 2,000 miles off their trips, so even if getting containers off and on takes a day a piece the cargo still saves 3 days, versus the 5 of going through the Panama Canal. For the ships the savings are greater since if they can unload and reload in the same day they save 4 days.

Yes, this model required more ships, since you need two fleets, but the fuel savings, faster turn around times, and security should more than make up for the expense. (By security I mean if the Panama Canal gets blocked then ships have to go 20K plus miles around South America to get to their ports. For shipping companies a day waiting or otherwise lost costs millions of dollars.)

Unlike the Panama Canal the ports of Coatzacoalcos and Salina Cruz could be built to handle any size ship, and a well managed rail and pipeline system could get the goods between the two sides same day, and be more readily expandable, then a canal with locks. Also, unlike the Panama Canal, shipping via the C-SC route would not require good rains that year to keep the lake full.

This project would cost a lot of money and require unparalleled cooperation between of two of Mexico’s states and Federal government. However, if they pulled it off the C-SC transport system (or what I call the Mexican Canal) it would fundamentally change Mexico’s economy (for the better) and alter the very nature of cargo transportation in the Western Hemisphere.