Drivers traveling Route 1 from Barranca toward Limonal and Guanacaste now spend more time on the road because of current construction going on. Heavy machinery operates along the 49-kilometer section as part of the effort to expand the highway to four lanes. The project restarted in January after a multi-year pause.
Contractors are clearing trees in places like Barranca and Malinche to prepare the area. These jobs create intermittent road closures. Closures typically run 10 minutes or under. Larger trees can require the full road shut for as long as 30 minutes.
Reports from the route show traffic backs up during certain periods and therefore stretches out overall travel times. Weekday travel over the 50 km section can exceed two hours in each direction. Drivers who head north report the most noticeable added time.
This part of the project will continue over the coming months with contractors set a goal to wrap up the expansion in roughly two years. Two firms handle the job. The build covers 16 car bridges, five interchanges at locations such as Cuatro Cruces, Monteverde, Chomes, Pozo Azul in Guacimal and La Irma. It also adds more than 55 kilometers of marginal roads, 10 pedestrian bridges, bus bays, improved drainage and 45 crossings for wildlife.
The project has more than 25,000 daily users including both tourism and export activities in the area. Motorists should consider alternative routes where available, stay alert to signage and allow extra time for their trips. Options include Route 606 or ferry and a time sensitive option of taking a flight.
Completion of the four-lane road promises to shorten the drive between Barranca and Limonal by nearly an hour and reduce the bottlenecks that affect commuters, truckers and visitors alike. Those who use this corridor regularly should see the changes as part of a needed upgrade for better connectivity north from the central valley.
