Heavy Trucks Blamed For
Congestion After Rush
Hours
Drivers around the major
routes of San José can
agree on one thing,
traffic this past week
during morning and
afternoon "horas picos"
(rush hours) has been
lighter than normal,
little to no congestion
on the General Cañas,
moving around the
downtown core is a
breeze and getting to
and from the airport a
snap.
And can also agree that
one of the major causes
of most of the
congestion are the big
trucks which have been
absent for the most
part.
But what happens after
rush hour? Well, that is
another story.
Heavy trucks are
prohibited from
circulating in the
restricted area of San
José and on the major
highways leading to and
from San José, like the
General Cañas and
Fernando Prospero,
during morning and
afternoon rush hours.
However, come the end of
the restriction hour,
the trucks are out in
full masse, in some
cases in caravans, as
they head to and from
their destinations.
The Braulio Carrillo
(route 32) - the San
José - Limón rout - for
example, the line of
tractor trailers is
endless, as truck
drivers park their heavy
vehicles on the side of
the road between 6am and
8:30am, but then hit the
road en masse.
In some cases, small
vehicles get caught
between the large trucks
as they make their way
into San José, not to
mention that the large
trucks block part of the
lanes, not leaving much
room for traffic, while
waiting out the
restriction.
Notwithstanding, the
trip from the San José
airport to downtown San
José is now only 30
minutes between 7am and
8am, a trip that would
take up to 90 minutes
before last Thursday, as
traffic began to back up
at the Cariari and would
continue bumper to
bumper right to Paseo
Colón.
Another improvement has
been in Escazú where
traffic on the Fernando
Prospero would begin to
back up at the CIMA
hospital, sometimes to
Multiplaza, as traffic
made its way into San
José. Yesterday
(Thursday), for example,
there was no need for
the regular Tránsito
official at the Escazú
intersection, as traffic
was so light it almost
seemed like Sunday
morning.
The same is being
reported at many other
points in the city, like
La Uruca, San Pedro and
the Circunvalación sur,
manily from the Hatillos
to the Alajuelita
rotonda.
The heavy truck
restriction is in effect
every weekday morning
and afternoon on the
autopista General Cañas/Bernando
Soto (ruta 1) from
Grecia to La Sabana, the
Florencio del Castillo (ruta
2) - San José/Cartago,
raidal Heredia (ruta 3)
and to the toll station/Tibás
on ruta 32.
The vice ministra de
Transportes, Viviana
Martín, yesterday
announced that the
vehicular restriction of
San José will apply all
day. |
