A new technical audit of the Route 32 expansion has identified 157 unfinished works, unstable slopes and road-safety problems along the highway connecting central Costa Rica with Limón and the Caribbean coast. The National Laboratory of Materials and Structural Models at the University of Costa Rica (LanammeUCR), examined the expansion between the Route 4 intersection near Sarapiquí and Limón. The audit covered work carried out between April 2025 and May 2026.
Inspectors reviewed 402 items recorded as pending in partial acceptance documents for 23 sections of the project. Of those, 145 had been completed, 48 were being addressed and 157 remained open without corrective action. Inspectors could not locate or verify another 52 items.
Drainage represented the largest area of concern. The audit identified 154 drainage-related items, including 62 that remained unresolved. LanammeUCR described the situation as particularly important because the highway passes through one of Costa Rica’s rainiest regions, where poorly functioning drains can contribute to flooding, erosion and damage to the road.
Other pending work involved vehicle barriers, the road surface, pedestrian infrastructure and signs. Among the pedestrian projects reviewed, 27 of 39 remained unresolved. Inspectors also found 20 outstanding road-surface items, 16 involving vehicle containment systems such as barriers, and 16 related to signs.
The audit raised separate concerns about slope stability, particularly between kilometers 100 and 112. Inspectors documented erosion, falling material and problems controlling surface water. Two slopes, located near kilometers 101.6 and 111.5, were singled out because inspectors found no evidence that permanent solutions were being implemented. Other unstable locations were also observed along the expanded section.
The findings carry particular cause for concern during periods of heavy rainfall. Route 32 often experiences closures because of landslides and falling material, disrupting travel between San José and the Caribbean and affecting access to Limón’s ports and popular destinations such as Cahuita and Puerto Viejo.
LanammeUCR also questioned the use of roundabouts built at several intersections along the expanded highway. The roundabouts have provided temporary improvements to traffic movement, but the audit concluded that they do not replace the grade-separated intersections originally planned for a highway carrying fast-moving traffic and large numbers of heavy trucks.
Inspectors recommended monitoring the roundabouts while moving ahead with permanent solutions. Quality control was another area of concern. During some site visits, work was taking place without the presence of supervisory personnel or laboratories responsible for testing and verifying construction quality.
Tests also found trends of noncompliance in some asphalt-mixture measurements, including the size distribution of the material and the amount of space within the mixture. However, much of the cement-stabilized base material tested within the limits established in the project contract.
The audit was based on 29 technical inspection visits, 27 rounds of material sampling and a review of project records. Findings were communicated to the project administration through 16 separate notices while the audit was underway. LanammeUCR recommended completing the outstanding work, adopting permanent solutions for unstable slopes and intersections, strengthening technical supervision and improving quality controls.
The laboratory warned that unresolved drainage, barriers and pedestrian infrastructure could affect the safety, operation and long-term condition of a highway used daily by thousands of drivers.
