Travelers Will Soon Know Where They Are and Where They’re Going.

In a country where street names and road signs are an unfamiliar concept, one company has stepped up to the plate to change this reality, and has promised to begin the daunting task of placing street signs on the 16,000 city corners in San Jose, and beyond, before the end of the year.

The daring company that will take on the project, Grupo Corporativo M&M, does not make chocolates covered in a candy shell, but rather has dedicated itself to producing license plates for the Costa Rican population for 15 years. The project was started during the administration of Pacheco by the Costa Rican Postal Service, which completed its research about the road system, but they were unable to organize the placement or fabrication of the road signs.

Grupo M&M has acquired all necessary permits and will begin placing signs in Limón and Tarrazú as these municipalities were the first to complete the paperwork and receive authorization. Next the company promises to focus on San Jose before 2009 rolls around. The other regions that have been approved include Nicoya, Pococí, Curridabat, Alajuelita, Heredia, Alajuela and Cartago.

The group plans to install cement posts with metal signs that will reach 2.1 meters high. Each canton will have signs designed for them, each of which will include a town shield, the street name, a postal number and the name of the district.

To fund the project, the back side of each sign will have an advertisement, and the company plans to place new signs each year to keep them in a good state. If anyone is interested in learning more about the project, or advertising on the signs, they can contact Grupo M&M representative Mauricio Muñoz at 2245-3209.

As the only Latin American country without street signs or names, this promises to be a revolutionary change for Ticos, the mail service in Costa Rica, as well as visitors trying to find their way through the country. It is unlikely that the older population will soon give up their whimsical style of giving directions (25m west of the water tower, next to the two story blue house with a black gate), but for the younger generations and businesses, the signs should offer innumerable benefits. Let’s hope that another company follows suit and sees the need to add all the new road names to the Costa Rica Map.

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Filed under: Costa Rica News on August 19th, 2008