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Better Roads in 3-4 Years,
Vice-Minister Says
A push by the current government
to improve the roads is
underway, but it will be at
least three or four years before
we can notice any difference,
Pedro Castro Fernández,
vice-minister of public works,
told the Spanish daily La Prensa
Libre.
The minister said that the
principal routes of San José -
San Ramón, San José - Caldera,
Naranjo - Florencia and Quepos -
Dominical is the focus of his
work.
According to Castro, the legal
expropriation of lands is almost
complete and there have been
important advances in the
project as it is now a
commitment by the Arias
government.
The project will be financed by
funds of the Consejo Nacional de
Vialidad (Conavi) and income
from gasoline tax under law
8114.
Each year the tax on gasoline
brings in ¢45 billion colones to
the government coffers.
Vice-minister Castro added that
for the project there will be
strict control of finances and
materials to be used in the
construction. The Ministerio de
Obras Públicas y Transporte (MOPT)
has had problems in the past in
controlling spending and
materials that has disappeared.
Many of the roads included in
the project are in the poorest
of condition and need major
repairs. Castro indicated that
the MOPT is committed to repair
all the roads but it lacks the
funds necessary to bring the
7.500 kilometres of national
roadway to standards that would
take some us$600 million dollars
when MOPT only recieves about
us$100 million dollars for the
work.
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