Drivers around Costa Rica’s capital are facing new disruptions this week as the government moves forward with the demolition of toll booth structures along one of our country’s busiest road corridors. The work, which began Monday night, is changing traffic patterns on Route 1, the General Cañas Highway, near Juan Santamaría International Airport.
President Rodrigo Chaves ordered the removal of the structures, calling them an unnecessary obstacle on a road where toll collection had already been suspended seven months earlier, in September 2025. Although no fees have been charged since then, the physical booths remained in place and continued to slow traffic near the airport access point.
“They no longer collect tolls there, but they are a hindrance,” Chaves said at a public event in San Ramón. “That’s over.” The demolition is being carried out overnight, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., to reduce disruption during peak daytime travel. The work is expected to continue for about five nights.
During those hours, the San José to Alajuela lanes of the General Cañas Highway are fully closed from the Cervecería Costa Rica crossing. Drivers are being redirected through Río Segundo via Route 3, rejoining the main road near the airport junction. Traffic in the opposite direction, from Alajuela into San José, is not affected.
For most daily commuters, the impact has so far been manageable. Since toll collection was suspended last year, traffic along the General Cañas and Bernardo Soto sections of Route 1 has moved more freely. The Río Segundo and Naranjo toll plazas were long considered two of the worst bottlenecks in the Greater Metropolitan Area, and suspending toll collection brought immediate relief to thousands of drivers.
The overnight closures, however, are a concern for international travelers. Tourists with late-night departures, hotel shuttle drivers, airline staff, and anyone catching an early-morning flight should allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes. Arriving at the airport late because of an unexpected detour is a risk no traveler wants to take.
The demolition is part of a much larger infrastructure story. Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly recently approved a loan package worth about $770 million to fund the expansion and modernization of the San José–San Ramón corridor. The project is expected to bring wider lanes, improved safety features, and shorter travel times along Route 1, changes that would benefit daily commuters, tourists, cargo operators, and businesses that depend on the highway.
Visitors should also be aware that toll collection on Route 1 is not gone permanently. Road authorities have indicated that fees will be reinstated at Río Segundo and Naranjo once a new operating contract is awarded, though no timeline has been confirmed.
In the meantime, other major routes around San José remain unaffected. Tolls on Route 27, the highway connecting the capital to the Pacific coast, continue to operate normally, as do those on Route 2 toward Cartago. Travelers using those routes should not expect any changes to their usual route.
For anyone traveling through Juan Santamaría International Airport this week, the advice from local authorities is to avoid the General Cañas Highway after 9 p.m. and to make sure to give yourself extra time and stay informed.
