Route 32 to the Caribbean reopens under watchful eye of highway officials

Faced with the threat of continued heavy rains and a dramatic weekend of landslides that left thousands of motorists stranded, Costa Rican highway officials decided to play it safe and close the main route linking San José with the Caribbean coast on Wednesday. But transit has returned to normal today, after officials reopened the route at 6 a.m. this morning.

Traffic Police and crews from the National Roadway Council (CONAVI) continue to monitor the mountainous area that passes through the Braulio Carrillo National Park, which last Thursday was the site of dozens of landslides that trapped up to 2,500 people for nearly eight hours.

A low-pressure system that affected most of Costa Rica on Wednesday is now moving northwest, significantly reducing the threat for heavy storms over Route 32, the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) reported on Thursday morning. On Wednesday evening, the low-pressure system caused heavy rains in most of the northwestern province of Guanacaste and in Costa Rica’s Northern Zone.

The IMN forecast indicates that low pressure will continue moving away from Costa Rica along the Central Pacific coast. However, normal rainy season conditions will continue to bring showers for most of the country.

Route 27, a main highway connecting San José to the central Pacific coast, also remains open, and CONAVI officials say they will continue to monitor the situation.

In the past 24 hours, unstable weather patterns generated intermittent showers along the Caribbean coastline and electrical storms offshore. Cloudy skies are expected today for the Central Valley, and Costa Rica’s Northern Zone and Central Pacific likely will see more rain, the IMN stated.