The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation estimated that it would take nine years to fix and recover Costa Rica’s road network.
Luis Amador, Minister of the institution, assured that a large amount of resources is needed to fix the country’s roads since many are in terrible condition.
“We are going to last, according to my estimates, about nine years to be able to recover that road network. To say it would take less time is unrealistic,” the Minister stated.
According to the official, it is more than evident how the national roads have been neglected, generating many traffic problems.
“Resources are not used in the best way because when you have resources, you have to take care of the infrastructure; you have to look at how fast the roads are deteriorating,” Amador said.
The Minister criticized the lack of action, especially on main roads, which are used by a large number of people daily.
“The works were built and left there until they are no longer useful, and that is happening here. Visit Alajuela radial, for example,” he added.
It is estimated that 80% of the roads need urgent intervention; 1,500 bridges in poor condition have been identified, of which 50 are in a critical state.
“The maintenance is not being done, and neither is the management. It will take that many years with the number of resources we have; if we get more resources, we can recover this road network in a shorter period,” Amador explained.
Undoubtedly, the government must address this problem urgently. The lack of road maintenance causes severe issues for road users, who often risk their lives.
One of the bridges of greatest concern is the Puente de la Amistad in Guanacaste.
“The Amistad Bridge is a bridge with cables; these provide the main support, and we do not know the condition of these cables. We are launching a bidding process to evaluate their condition; once we have this analysis, we will repair it”, emphasized the minister.
In addition, there are a large number of other bridges that are known to be in poor condition, although their exact condition is not well known. In some places, temporary bridges were put in place to deal with an emergency and have remained permanently in place.
Resources must be sought to improve the condition of the roads so that drivers can travel safely.
