The San José-Caldera Highway Still Uncertain, Only A Dream For Many
Three decades later, the construction of the new highway that would reduce the trip between San José and Caldera to in less than one hour instead of the almost two hours it takes now, is still ongoing and its completion is yet a certainty.

The new road would mean a big boost to the Central Pacific, cutting the travel time between San José and the beaches of Jacó and Herradura (Los Sueños) and the port of Caldera and Puntarenas in less than one hour.

It appears that the lack of planning and the constant changes by the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) is turning the highway into more than a dream that one day  the drive to the beach will be fast and on a good road, instead of the current route known as "el Monte Aguacate", a winding narrow road with constant blind curves that can leave even the best of drivers with their hair raised on end.

The dream began back in the 1970's when the first lines were sketched out for a road that has been under construction since and mired in controversy as contract after contract has been signed and contractor after contractor has resigned from the job, never completing the work from many reasons ranging from rising fuel costs of late to poor or no planning on the part of the Transport authorities and their constant changes.

The road for many Costa Ricans is a tale from childhood, when their parents spoke about the road to the Pacific that would be modern and take one there in record time.

The road would stretch for 77 kilometres cutting through valleys and no need to climb the high mountains of the area. The road would be build in three sections: the 14.5 kilometres between the La Sabana to Cuidad Colon, which is already there save for the sections between Santa Ana and Cuidad Colon where the road has to still be widened; the 38 kiloemtres between Cuidad Colon and Orotina, which has to be be newly constructed: and the 24 kilometres between Orotina and Caldera, which has to be reconstructed.

So far, only the bridges between Cuidad Colon and Orotina have been built for some time and have become dilapidated and will soon need repairs. The main bridge in the area known as La Guacima has become a deal garbage dump, the other bridges constructed more than five years ago, have been left in a state of abandonment and have been a haven for vandals.

Rumours of heavy machinery and work in progress are constant, only to find that the latest contractor moves in their equipment in the area and then pulling it back due to contractual dispute with government authorities.

Many visitors, especially those looking to invest in the Central Pacific, get excited when the hear the rumours as they imagine their investments grow quickly, based on the promises from the local real estate professionals.

The latest contractor, the Consorcio Autopistas del Sol has 24 months to complete the work and with us$160 million dollars in financing from the Banco Centroamericano and us$50 million dollars from the Caja de Madrid bank, it appears that the dream may soon become a reality.

But wait, there is a snag in this latest round. The financiers want some security assurances not included in the original contract and the Contraloría General de la Republica (Comptroller's office) has yet, after months of discussions, to give the green light to the contract amendments, so the work is paralyzed once again.

Rodolfo Silva was the minister under president "Don Pepe" - José Maria Figueres Ferrer - when the idea was first created.

Silva assures that taking away resources from the Consejo Nacional de Vialidad (CONAVI) and the constant legal obstacles has delayed the project and subdued Silva's dream to one day inaugurate the new road.

The current vice-ministro de Concesión, Luis Diego vargas, promised a few months ago that the work would again resume on the project would be finished within  two years.

We are still waiting. And dreaming of the day when...