Falling Rock Raises
Alert On San
José - Caldera
The San José -
Caldera highway
continues to be
a dangerous road
during heavy
rains and
earthquakes,
with rock falls
and mudslides,
the latest being
Sunday night
when a
motorcyclists
slammed into a
huge rock fallen
onto the
roadway.
The gigantic
rock that fell
on the roadway
Sunday night
Sunday's nights
accident
occurred at
kilometre 27,
near the Atenas
toll stations,
where several
large rocks fell
onto the road
following
Thursday's 6.1
earthquake and
last night a
gigantic rock
fell onto the
roadway in the
darkness of the
night.
Fortunately, the
driver of the
mortorcycle only
suffered cuts
and bruises,
however, his
passenger was
taken to
hospital in
delicate
condition.
The road has
been open since
January 27. And
in the four
months a number
of accidents
have been
attributed to
fallen rocks on
the roadway.
Near kilometre
39 of the
highway, running
water and mud
ran on Sunday
morning from one
side of the road
to the other, as
the water and
mud ran from the
mountainside to
the valley
below. In this
case the road
was not closed
and the level of
mud was light.
However, in
other cases lane
closures have
been necessary.
The Autopistas
del Sol, the
road
concessionare,
has taken steps
to control the
falling of rocks
onto the
highway, shoring
up the rock
faces with metal
fencing,
concrete and
other materials,
as well as
erecting metal
and concrete
barriers to stop
debris onto the
road surface.
However, this is
the first "rainy
season" of the
highway and as
much as road
officials try to
identify the
problem areas
and predict rock
falls, it is a
"hit and miss"
process.
Many users of
the highway are
not only
complaining on
the conditions
of the road that
are expected to
worsen in the
coming months of
the rainy
season, but are
also required to
pay for the use
of a road that
is fast becoming
one of the most
dangerous roads
in the country.
From end to end,
there are four
toll stations -
Escazú, La
Guacima, Atenas
and Pozón de
Orotina - with a
price tag of
˘1.830 each way
or ˘3.660 round
trip.
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