General Cañas Highway closed from San José-Alajuela on Thursday

The General Cañas Highway, which connects the capital with the province of Alajuela, will be closed at 10 p.m. on Thursday in the direction heading from San José to Alajuela. That route will be closed until next Tuesday, while workers remove a Bailey bridge.

Traffic headed in the opposite direction returned to normal Tuesday, after workers removed a bridge that collapsed when an 84-ton crane attempted to drive over it last Thursday.

Officials from the National Roadway Council said that traffic will return to normal on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 5 a.m. when they will reopen three lanes of the highway.

Bailey bridges were placed as a temporary fix for a large sinkhole that appeared last June.

Authorities recommend drivers headed to Alajuela – where the Juan Santamaría International Airport is located – use alternate routes in Belén and Barreal (in Heredia), and Route 27 (the San José-Caldera Highway). Drivers also should plan on leaving early if headed to Alajuela, as heavy traffic is expected.