San José - Caldera
Road Open, Finally
Finally, after more than three decades of
planning, promises, starts, stops and
delays, the San José - Caldera highway,
though some prefer to call it a road, is a
reality and travel between the interior of
Costa Rica and the Pacific coast is at least
45 minutes faster.
However, Ruta 27 is not cheap. A round trip
between the Sabana, San José and Puerto
Caldera, Puntarenas, costs ˘3.860 in tolls
(˘1.930 in each direction), for the 77
kilometre trip that takes less than an hour.
On Wednesday, Costa Rican president, Oscar
Arias, officially inaugurated the road wich
for some moments was open to the public from
Orotina to San José, who were met by
protestors at Pieades (Cuidad Colón exit),
having to turn around and take the San
Rafael exit that weaved around the La
Reforma prison and ended up at the
Panasonic.
Protestors were out early in the morning to
stop the inauguration and opening of the
highway.
A truck dumped debris on the road under the
bridge at Piedades and then about 50
protestors maintained a road block all day
long, waiting on the presidential motorcade
to arrive, to make their concerns known to
president Arias.
However, the presidential motorcade took the
San Rafael route, avoiding the roadblock, to
attend the inauguration ceremony at Orotina.
The road officially was opened to traffic
Wednesday night and the toll stations began
collecting at midnight.
Even though the road is now open and the
tolls are being charged, parts of the road
is still missing signaling, bus stop bays,
lighting and rail guards.
What the road means to many is a savings in
time, fuel and wear and tear on their
vehicle.
Some prefer to call the highway a road,
since it is for the most part a two lane
road that weaves between the mountains, not
much different than the other roads that
lead to and from the Pacific, but with
tolls.
Until yesterday, the only routes to and from
the Pacific coast from San José was
the Cambronero or the Desmonte (Aguacate),
which took almost two hours to make the trip
between San José and Puntarenas.
The new San José - Caldera road now means
the trip takes less than an hour and no
mountains to climb or descend. Also,
the new road offers passing lanes at points
where there some gentle climbs, allowing
slow moving traffic to the right.
Whatever you call it, a road or a highway,
to paraphrase president Arias during the
inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, the new
highway will be a boost to tourism. |
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Protestors blocked the opening of the San José - Caldera highway at Santa Ana.
The first traffic from Orotina to San José
Go to our Photo Journal for all the photos on the protest and inauguration of the new road. |
