New Road Plans Unveiled for Costa Rica

By Eric Robinson

Massive plans have now been approved to fix Costa Rica's roads, and decongest traffic in and around San Jose.The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) will undertake a number of measures designed to upgrade the nation's pot-holed roads, and relieve the choked transportation arteries in the San Jose area.

Lack of funds has been the traditional excuse for the pathetic road conditions, but this is to be relieved with a creative plan to sell bonds to the public, which will be repaid with future tax revenues from gasoline and car ownership.

Pot holes are already being aggressively filled across the nation, while the InterAmerican highway from Nicaragua to Panama will be reconstructed where needed.

The autopista that circumnavigates about three fifths of San Jose is scheduled to be completed from Uruca to Calle Blancos, and five more rotundas on this circumnavigational route will have bridges built over them similar to the present bridge at the Desamparados/San Francisco rotunda, or tunnels under them.

325 'smart' traffic signals that can see the traffic and respond, improving traffic flow are to be installed in and around San Jose by 2007.

Many projects have been underway for years across Costa Rica but contracts were dropped with the lack of funding resulting in band-aid solutions of temporarily filling potholes. The new finance scheme should address these shortfalls.

Of particularly good news to Adventure Inn, a new pedestrian bridge with ramps for wheelchair access will be constructed over the InterAmerican highway in front of ourLos Arcos entrance, allowing our guests who return from San Jose by bus to have an extremely easy, safe and convenient way to reach the hotel. It is scheduled to be completed by May, 2006.