The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) reopened the road on La Radial de Alajuela. After three months of work and endless traffic jams, drivers can now transtit smoothly.
The works included replacing 167 concrete slabs on the Radial. Minister Mauricio Batalla highlighted these improvements at the entrance to the central canton of Alajuela. “We are leaving the neighbors with a Radial with a useful life of 20 years,” he said.
The head of the MOPT believes that this project will pave the way for the San José – San Ramón highway. “These works speak for themselves. We are not only benefiting the neighbors of the West but also the 6 and a half million tourists who visit Costa Rica,” added Batalla.
For President Rodrigo Chaves, it is the responsibility of the MOPT to reduce road chaos through these initiatives. “We have to provide agility to our main gateway to the country. Costa Rica deserves solutions, not obstacles,” said Chaves.
According to the National Roads Council (CONAVI), the project cost is around ¢1,360 million. This amount is higher than the San José – Alajuela direction due to the additional slabs, accesses, and exits, as informed by the authorities. The first stage, concluded last year, had an investment of ¢820 million.
The project also involved installing a modular bridge (or bailey bridge) in Alajuela, in front of the Juan Santamaría airport. It is a new metallic structure, similar to the one placed months ago, which will be situated next to the existing structure. According to the National Roads Council (CONAVI), the project has a cost of ¢500 million.
With this bridge, people traveling from San José to San Ramón, Naranjo, and Atenas will have two lanes to improve traffic.
“These are two improvements that will save people 30 minutes. People report saving 30 minutes of travel time and avoiding traffic congestion,” said Batalla.
