Infrastructure Projects to Continue
In Guanacaste
(InfoWebPress) – The Ministry of
Transportation and Public
Infrastructure (MOPT) provided
updates on a number projects
currently being done in Guanacaste.
For example, MOPT informed that
improvement works to the 13.9
kilometers of road between the
communities of 27 de Abril and
Paraiso, in the canton of Santa
Cruz, have been completed.
Once a gravel road, the two-lane
route has been paved and now also
has a bike path and sidewalks for
the convenience and safety of
pedestrians and bike riders, who are
very common in this region. There is
a guardrail separating the bike path
from the main road to provide extra
safety, while the sidewalks will be
very beneficial for schoolchildren
who walk this road to reach various
schools in the area.
The road has been adequately marked,
which is expected to provide even
more safety to drivers, particularly
at night and during times of heavy
rain. Residents living alongside
this road will also benefit from the
paving, which will eliminate the
dust clouds that were common during
the long and dry Guanacaste summers.
Finally, the new road is expected to
significantly contribute to the
region’s tourism industry.
Paving of the road had a cost of
4.97 billion colones ($8.8 million),
including 690 million ($1.23
million) for construction of the
bike path. Paving of the highway
included installation of a
35-centimeter sub-foundation and
20-centimeter foundation to increase
safety and durability. Sidewalks
were built particularly in the
community of Paraiso, with their
respective curbs and gutters to
drain stormwater adequately away
from the road.
As part of efforts to make roads in
Guanacaste safer, a company hired by
the National Roadways Commission
fell trees that were too close to
roads and obstructed construction,
in addition to being a risk to
bicyclists and drivers.
Meanwhile, the contract to pave a
9-kilometer stretch of road of
National Route 21, between Jicaral
and Lepanto in the Nicoya Peninsula,
has been awarded to the Hernan Solis
Construction Company, for an amount
of 5.3 billion colones ($9.4
million). The project also includes
the construction of new bridges over
the San Pedro and Tronconal creeks
and the expansion of the bridge over
the Lepanto River to two lanes,
according to Transportation Vice
Minister Pedro Castro.
Also completed has been the
21-kilometer section between Puerto
Carrillo and Lajas. Castro said this
project had a cost of 4.2 billion
colones ($7.5 million). This road
allows the connection of communities
that are very important to the
region’s agricultural and tourist
economies, such as Estrada, San
Miguel and El Jobo, also
facilitating access to Playa
Carrillo, Samara, Punta Islita and
other coastal destinations.
Underway right now is the stretch of
road between Tilaran and Libano.
This project is key to facilitating
transportation between Tilaran and
Cañas, as drivers will be able to
move between these two cities not
only through Pueblo Nuevo and Los
Angeles, but also via Libano. This
road is 9.2 kilometers long and
represents an investment of 2.4
billion colones ($4.2 million).
Foundation material was installed
recently, all earth movements have
been made, and installation of box
concrete culverts. Completion
progress is estimated at 35 percent.
Other projects are in the design
stage, including the 40-kilometer
Samara-Nosara route. The cost of
this project is estimated at $60
million, as it includes the
construction of seven bridges. The
blueprints for the 27 de Abril-Villa
Real (25 kilometers, $9 million) are
also being prepared. This project
would complement the 27 de Abril-Paraiso,
Santa Cruz-Tamarindo and Tamarindo-Paraiso
of this road. Finally, the design
for the 40-kilometer Santa
Cruz-Santa Barbara road is being
currently done; and preliminary
drawings for the Sardinal-Potrero
section (Monkey Trail), which
connects to the Papagayo Gulf, are
underway. |
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