San Sebastián Underpass
Opens Tomorrow,
Officials Promise Less
Congestion on
Circunvalación
Driving on the south of
San José's
Circunvalación - ring
road - has been a
frustration for years
for drivers as the
rotondas have become
bottlenecks. To ease
congestion, the
Minsterio de Obras
Públicas y Transportes (MOPT)
replaced the rotondas,
building an overpass at
the Y Griega (Desamparados/San
Francisco) and the
underpass at the San
Sebastián.
The Desamparados
overpass was finished
some years back, while
the San Sebastián
underpass will open
officially tomorrow, as
six lanes of east-west
traffic are expected to
pass under the existing
rotonda for the
north-south traffic.
But, will the San
Sebastián underpass
reduce congestion?
Pedro Castro,
vice-minister of
Transportes, thinks so.
Castro said that the
benefits of the
underpass will be great
as it will reduce the
waiting time of the past
to get through the
rotonda that could not
handle the high volume
of daily traffic
anymore.
However, congestion on
the the Circunvalación
will not end tomorrow
with the opening of the
San Sebastián underpass,
as it did not with the
opening of the
Desamparados overpass,
since there still are a
number of rotondas to
bottleneck traffic on
the Circunvalación: the
rotondas at Rancho
Guanacaste (Alguelita),
La Guacanaya (Paso Ancho)
and the Zapote.
The three remaining
rotondas continue to
cause headaches for
drivers, especially the
Rancho Guanacaste where
traffic at peak morning
and afternoon hours
backs up for miles.
The opening of the San
Sebastián underpass will
surely help in the time
it takes to go from one
end of the
Circunvalación to the
other, though not my
much. Experts believe
the travel time through
the underpass will take
ten minutes less than
going through the
rotonda.
However, all the time
gained at the San
Sebastián will be lost
at the Rancho Guanacaste
and the other two
rotondas as traffic will
reach the rotondas
minutes earlier for the
congestion.
The MOPT is working on
the solution.
Castro said that plans
are being made to erect
an underpass similar to
the San Sebastián at the
Paso Ancho and an
overpass at the
Alajuelita rotondas.
However, there is no
definite timetable as to
when the construction
will begin and more
important will end.
Castro explained that
the designs for the
rotondas changes should
be ready by the middle
of this year and that
five companies are
interested in carrying
out the work.
For the time being
patience and a full tank
of gasoline are
recommended for travel
on the Circunvalación at
peak times.
And don't forget to keep
the windows rolled and
valuables off the front
seat and in full view of
"tachadores" - thieves
breaking the window
glass in a smash and
grab of valuables - as
you sit in traffic. |
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