Route 606 will be closed starting at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday for the construction of a bridge over the Guacimal River. The project includes the construction of a two-lane bridge, one lane in each direction, as well as a pedestrian walkway. This route connects Monteverde with the North Inter-American Highway.
Construction of the new concrete structure began on December 2 with preparatory work. This Thursday, January 15, traffic will be suspended at the Guacimal River crossing on this highway in order to relocate the temporary bridge currently in service to another location, making room for construction of the permanent bridge.
The Road and Bridge Construction Management Department of the National Road Council explained that since early December, work has been underway to prepare the foundations that will support the prefabricated bridge at a site a few meters from its current location. This will allow traffic to continue flowing through the area while the new bridge is being built.
The relocation and commissioning of the metal bridge at the new site are expected to take approximately two weeks, during which time there will be no passage through this section of National Route 606.
Once the site has been cleared, construction of the new permanent structure will begin. The project has an estimated cost of ¢730 million (approximately $1.45 million). In addition to the concrete bridge, the project includes the construction of approach roads on both sides, as well as horizontal and vertical signage.
The road connecting the Monteverde area in Puntarenas with the North Inter-American Highway will be improved at the Guacimal River crossing. After 200 effective workdays, approximately nine months, the 35-meter-long concrete bridge is expected to be put into service.
During the transfer of the modular bridge, users will not be able to travel between the Inter-American North Highway and Monteverde, except for access to homes or businesses. Even in those cases, crossing the Guacimal River will not be possible.
During this approximately two-week period, users will need to detour via National Route 605, crossing the Lagartos River and continuing to the intersection with Route 606 near the El Sol restaurant, or vice versa, covering about 15 kilometers. From that intersection, drivers may resume travel on Route 606 toward Santa Elena de Monteverde or in the opposite direction.
