New Minister of Public Works and Transport outlines priorities

Pedro Castro this Thursday assumed his post as Costa Rica’s new minister of Public Works and Transport (MOPT), and said he will prioritize three projects: the construction of the Circunvalación Norte, the expanding of the route to San Ramón and the completion of the “Route 1856,” a road parallel to the border with Nicaragua.

The Circunvalación Norte project, a road connecting the northern sectors of the capital San José, is awaiting the eviction of residents of the “Triángulo de Solidaridad,” a slum neighborhood through which the route is set to pass.

The widening of the route to the canton of San Ramón in Alajuela will begin at La Sabana Park, west of San José. The project is stalled due to lack of funding for the company that won the public bid for the construction.

“We have many important projects, but we have to consider financing,” said the new minister. “We have to make an efficient distribution of staff, and organize the work so that projects can be done adequately.“ 

Regarding “Route 1856,” the new minister said he will keep the status quo, but will add supervision to avoid problems with corruption, which led to the departure of former Minister Francisco Jiménez.