Weekend Closures To Affect Limón Highway

The main highway to the Caribbean coast will close again on Thursday, as specialists from Spain work with the Costa Rican government to improve safety for future travelers.

According to transportation authorities, Route 32 will be closed from 5:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday so that tests can be conducted without disruption from passing traffic.

“The computers being used in the testing are highly sensitive, so any noise or movement greatly interferes with the sensors and makes scanning impossible,” a Transportation Ministry statement said.

The road will reopen after 11 a.m. each day unless there is severe weather. Meanwhile, traffic will be rerouted through Turrialba, adding an additional 90 minutes to what is normally a two-and-a-half-hour trip from San José to Limón.

Since it opened in the mid-1980s, Route 32 has been plagued by mudslides, and closes frequently in the rainy season. To find out whether the road is open, call the Zurquí office of the Traffic Police at 2268-2157, or the Limón bus lines at 2750-0023 or 2257-8129.

–Chrissie Long