Photo: Ruta 32, Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes.
According to a report by La República, the construction of the four additional lanes on Route 32 will be completed in October 2025, thanks to an additional budget of $15 million granted by the National Highway Council (Conavi), as confirmed by the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Efraím Zeledón. Additionally, the minister stated that the contract with the Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) will allow for the final disbursement of funds next month. It is worth noting that this project has faced various challenges due to the internal bureaucracy of the Costa Rican government.
The expansion will add six kilometers of four-lane road and the construction of four roundabouts in different communities to improve road safety. This project aims to strengthen the connection between San José and Limón, boosting tourism and trade. However, its design has undergone multiple modifications, which have complicated its execution.
The company in charge of the project is the Chinese construction firm CHEC, which will lead the construction until its completion, as stipulated in the contract. It is important to mention that the contractual agreement between the Costa Rican government and Eximbank expires in April of this year. Nevertheless, the Costa Rican government has assured that it has the necessary funds to complete the project, which is expected to be finished by October 2025.
This project began as part of an agreement between Costa Rica and the People's Republic of China. Although it was initially expected to be inaugurated in 2018 to complement the APM Terminals megaport, changes in the design and government bureaucracy have postponed its completion to the last quarter of this year.
Some of the main delays in the project have been due to expropriations and the relocation of essential services for its execution. These issues forced the redesign of the project to align with the stipulated budget, given the lack of resources to complete the expropriation processes and other administrative procedures.
After evaluating several options, the MOPT determined that roundabouts were the best solution for the project. So far, two roundabouts have been enabled in La Unión de Guápiles and Siquirres. According to Ronny Sánchez, director of roads for the Route 32 Executive Unit, multiple studies conducted with national and international companies concluded that roundabouts improve traffic flow and provide greater road safety.
The completion of this expansion comes at a difficult time for the province of Limón, where increasing violence due to conflicts between criminal organizations and drug trafficking has negatively impacted the region. Currently, Limón and San José rank among the provinces with the highest homicide rates related to gang conflicts.
Last but not least, the modernization of Route 32 is expected to boost economic development in the region, which could help improve security for Caribbean residents and foreign tourists. Additionally, the creation of new jobs may steer young people away from crime and transform the social perception of the province of Limón.
Main Source:
Ampliación a cuatro carriles de la ruta 32 se concluirá con $15 millones del presupuesto del Conavi – La República
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