New Caldera cargo dock will be ready in 15 months

Work on a new cargo dock at the Pacific port of Caldera officially began on Monday in the province of Puntarenas. The 180-meter dock will be ready next year, Pacific Port Authority Executive President Urías Ugalde said.

The project will cost $30 million and will permit cargo ships of greater capacity, Ugalde said. Construction will last 15 months.

President Laura Chinchilla attended a ceremony on Monday to inaugurate the project.

Construction was delayed for nearly a decade after unions opposing the new dock filed several constitutional appeals before the country’s courts. Those appeals were rejected.

“The delay caused an increase in the cost of importing and exporting goods, which mostly affected the consumer,” Chinchilla said.

The new dock will shorten waiting times for cargo ships in the bay, which can last up to five days at a cost of $30,000 per day. “These costs are reflected in the prices consumers end up paying,” the president added.

The Caldera cargo dock will be used to import goods for domestic consumption such as grains, flour, cement and other building materials.