The Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) announced the reopening of Routes 1 and 32 on Tuesday morning. Juan Carlos Calderón, the coordinator of Operations for the Emergency Department of MOPT, informed announced the reopening of both roads.
“Due to the combined efforts of the contract with the National Roads Council (CONAVI) and the Transit Police yesterday, we can now reopen. Engineer Liseth Perez has given the order. This step is crucial because we’ve been significantly affected over the past few days. The roads are set to open soon,” he stated.
Both routes experienced disruptions since Sunday night and early Monday morning following two days of intense rainfall that hit the country over the weekend.
“Furthermore, we worked on Route 1 until 8:00 p.m. yesterday, specifically in the Cambronero sector of San Ramón. We resumed at 6:00 a.m. today because there was substantial work required to clear materials left on the roadway,” Calderón elaborated.
The soil surrounding these roads became saturated, causing debris to fall onto the roads. Similar incidents were reported on the roads to Quitirrisí de Mora and Pérez Zeledón (between San Ramón and Santa Uvides). The latter remains obstructed at Las Nubes.
“Two main concerns for motorists are the potential congestion and the unpredictable weather. Given the current conditions, if any alarming situation arises, the best course of action will be to shut the route for safety, as done previously,” Calderón commented.
He added that traffic officials would conduct ongoing inspections of the impacted areas to determine the road conditions.
More rain
Furthermore, the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) predicts rainfall throughout the day, attributed to the Intertropical Convergence Zone over Costa Rica. The heaviest rainfall is expected in Limón (where Route 32 is) and the Nicoya Peninsula. Meanwhile, sporadic showers are anticipated in the Central Valley and the Pacific, areas traversed by Route 1.
Given the circumstances, authorities are urging drivers to exercise caution, particularly on routes susceptible to landslides. They also asked the population to follow up on the notifications issued by the CNE and call 911 in case of emergency
