Costa Rica’s new Public Works and Transport Minister, Efraím Zeledón, is setting a clear test for his time in office: move forward five long-delayed infrastructure projects that affect daily traffic, regional travel, tourism and public transportation.
Zeledón, who remains at the head of MOPT under President Laura Fernández after serving during the final stretch of the Rodrigo Chaves administration, said his priorities include the San José-San Ramón highway expansion, the Florencio del Castillo highway to Cartago, Route 21 in Guanacaste, the electric passenger train and the long-promised road to San Carlos. Fernández was sworn in as president on May 8 and begins her four-year term with infrastructure among the large unfinished issues facing the country.
The list touches several of the country’s most complained-about bottlenecks. For residents and visitors, the projects matter because they involve key routes to Juan Santamaría International Airport, Cartago, Guanacaste’s Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport, the Northern Zone and the Greater Metropolitan Area.
The San José-San Ramón expansion is one of the biggest pieces. The project covers more than 55 kilometers between the capital and the western Central Valley and has a $770 million financing package. The plan includes widening the route, improving interchanges, bridges, pedestrian crossings, bus bays, toll stations, lighting and signage. Earlier estimates have placed the possible start of construction in 2027, with expropriations still one of the main risks because more than 500 properties are involved.
The Florencio del Castillo project would target the main corridor between San José and Cartago, another route known for heavy congestion. The plan includes improvements from the Garantías Sociales roundabout toward El Quijongo and has been discussed as a concession project with an estimated initial investment of about $614 million.
In Guanacaste, Route 21 is also high on the list. The road passes in front of Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia and serves one of Costa Rica’s most important tourism zones. Zeledón said the government wants to publish the bidding documents for that project before July 25. He described the investment as roughly $100 million.
The San Carlos highway remains one of Costa Rica’s longest-running infrastructure promises. Zeledón said the administration will continue work on the southern section and the central section, while also maintaining the northern end. The central section still depends on movement from the Inter-American Development Bank after CHEC, the Chinese company also tied to Route 32, was the only bidder.
The fifth priority, the electric passenger train, is the central piece of Zeledón’s plan for metro-area mobility. He wants the train to serve as the backbone of public transportation in the Greater Metropolitan Area, with buses, taxis and other services feeding into train stations. That would require reworking the long-stalled bus sectorization model, which has been discussed for more than 20 years but never fully implemented.
The train’s financing has been discussed as an $800 million package, with funds from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the European Investment Bank, along with support from the Green Climate Fund. If the project moves on schedule, earlier projections pointed to construction starting between late 2027 and early 2028, with operations possible around 2031.
Beyond the five flagship projects, Zeledón also pointed to smaller works that could have a direct effect on traffic. These include the San Pedro tunnel in Montes de Oca, a third level at the Guadalupe roundabout, the Lindora radial, the Heredia radial, sections of Route 160 in Guanacaste, and overpasses to replace roundabouts built on Route 32.
Road safety is another pending issue for MOPT. Zeledón said the ministry is looking at traffic cameras for photo fines and wants Costa Rica to reach 1,000 traffic officers by the end of the administration. The country still has a major shortage of traffic police and one of the highest road-death rates among OECD countries.
For now, the new administration’s infrastructure agenda is heavy on projects Costa Ricans have heard about for years. The difference Zeledón is trying to sell is execution. If these projects finally move from financing, design and bidding into real construction, the impact would be felt well beyond San José, especially by commuters, freight operators, tourists and communities that have spent years waiting for the road network to catch up with our country’s growth.
