Costa Rica’s Route 32, which connects the Greater Metropolitan Area with the province of Limón, is often closed due to landslides. Sometimes, the road is closed for prolonged periods and even for several days.
For countless drivers, this road has become a nightmare, with endless traffic due to unexpected closures and the stress of not knowing when a new incident will happen, that will lead to delays or road blocks.
Each closure represents millions in losses for the export and import sector. It also increases overall costs, hinders investments in Limón, and harms the tourism industry in the area. These problems aren’t new, yet no government has been able to provide a definite solution for Route 32.
Recently, a new concession proposal submitted by a consortium proposes to intervene the section of Route 32 between Barrio Tournón, known as the La República junction, and the Río Frío junction after the Zurquí tunnel.
WRA Environmental Engineering Inc. and GYH South Investments S.A. make up the consortium that is reviving the proposal that had been presented years ago by H. Solís and was shelved due to lack of progress in 2022.
Now, this new plan is under review by the National Concessions Council (CNC) and proposes doubling the current infrastructure, including the construction of a new tunnel next to Zurquí.
The project establishes the design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance for the duplication of the existing road infrastructure, San José–Río Frío corridor, specifically in the section between Tournón, Braulio Carrillo National Park, and Cruce Río Frío (junction with National Route 4).
The planned investment for this project is $600 million, and the proposal is currently in the admissibility stage.
The Minister of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT), Efraím Zeledón, confirmed that the analysis process is currently underway and highlighted the importance of moving forward with this private investment plan as a definitive solution to the problem of landslides on Route 32 in the mountainous area.
Zeledón acknowledges that this is a long-term solution, but he assures that it is an important project that would invest money in the route that the Administration does not currently have.
The new private concession initiative under review by the CNC must advance through various stages, including admissibility, feasibility studies, international public bidding, and subsequent awarding.
While this is being discussed, the Minister assured that they are implementing small, targeted, and immediate actions to prevent further closures. For example, in the coming days, a process of cutting trees in the mountain area will begin, and it is expected that by next year, designs will be available for the works required for the slopes at greatest risk
