Update: The landslide has been cleared and Route 32 has reopened.
Vehicle passage on Route 32, the main highway connecting Costa Rica’s capital San José with the Caribbean province of Limón, was blocked Wednesday after heavy rains caused a landslide, the Public Works and Transport Ministry (MOPT) reported.
The affected area is in Braulio Carrillo National Park.
At around 4 p.m. Wednesday, a landslide caused a truck to overturn, creating a multiple-vehicle accident. Several people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, La Nación reported. The highway is closed “until further notice,” MOPT said, without providing a reopening estimate.
MOPT and National Roadway Council staff are on-site to evaluate the highway. Route 10 between Turrialba and Siquirres is the recommended alternate route until Route 32 reopens.
Updates can be found via the MOPT Facebook page.
Route 32 was also closed in late July when heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in various regions of Costa Rica, including Turrialba and the Caribbean. The section through Braulio Carrillo National Park is particularly prone to landslides during the rainy season.
The National Meteorological Institute forecast heavy rains in the area throughout Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
