Government
Without Money
For Ambitious
Plan To Repair
Bridges
The Ministerio
de Obras
Públicas y
Transportes (MOPT)
is promisint to
repair or
replace some 200
bridges across
the nation
during the next
four years, but
only one
problem, the
wallet is empty.
The bridges are
along Costa
Rica's 30.000
kilometres of
road, many in
poor to bad
state of
condition due to
lack of
preventive
maintenance for
decades.
At least 70 of
the bridges are
made of wood and
considered a
high risk today
and located in
high transited
roads. The plan
is also to
replace some 60
"Bailey" bridges
that MOPT has
been using of
late to quickly
replace damaged
structures.
However, the
plan will cost
us$250 million
dollars and to
date not one 'colón'
has been
earmarked for
the ambitious
plan.
And to make
matters worse,
the cost does
not include the
¢7 billion
colones required
by the Consejo
Nacional de
Vialidad (Conavi)
to make repairs
to the Virilla
bridge on the
General Cañas,
or the "puente
platina" as it
is commonly
referred to, as
well as the
several other
bridges in
Puntarenas, that
are a constant
source of
congestion and
accidents.
In total there
are 1.300
bridges in Costa
Rica.
Repairing or
replacing 200 is
a start, but not
nearly enough to
call the bridges
safe.
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