San José Airport
Completion Could Be A
Reality By End of 2009
The Juan Santamaría (San
José) international
airport may at last be
completed the
Contraloría General de
la República
(Comptroller's office)
accepts Houston Airport
System as the new
contractor.
The Ministerio de Obras
Públicas y Transportes
(MOPT) is asking the
Contraloría accept
Houston and its expected
us$140 million
investment to complete
the project and manage
the airport, taking over
from Alterra Partners.
The Contraloría will be
making its decision on
the proposal within the
next 10 days and if
accepted work could
resume on the project as
early as December.
However, if the
Contraloría rejects the
proposal that would see
Houston manage the
airport for the next 25
years, the airport
completion and
management would then
fall back on the hands
of the government.
In the proposal, Houston
is prepared to accept a
series of debts incurred
by Alterra with the
government, mainly fines
for non-compliance of
the terms of the
contract, which include
a us$10 million dollar
fine that the government
had the right to against
Alterra.
The MOPT says that the
money, that would be
paid by Houston if
accepted as contractor,
would be used to repair
and upgrade smaller
airports around the
country.
According to the
vice-minister of
Transportes, Viviana
Martín, if the
Contraloría approves the
deal, the San José
airport could be
completed by December
2009. |
