Bus Passengers and Locals Cross a Collapsed Bridge by Foot in Costa Rica.

The bridge over the Guacimal River along the Interamerican highway in Sardinal, Guanacaste, finally had one lane opened for ’slow’ passage this morning after a support gave way causing part of the bridge to fall half a meter below the level of the highway. The road was closed for a couple of days along a route which is transited by 9,000 vehicles daily and serves as the only way for large trucks and buses to get between Guanacaste and the rest of the country.

The bridge closing resulted in great chaos and delays. Truck drivers and bus routes were particularly affected, as smaller roads are not an option for them. Smaller vehicles were provided several alternative routes along even poorer kept roads including heading to San Carlos, La Fortuna, and around the lake to Tilaran where they would finally reconnect with the main road in Cañas. Those heading to the peninsula of Nicoya were forced to take the ferry to Playa Naranjo instead.

Bus routes were limited to day time passages as passengers had to dismount the bus, cross the bridge by foot and continue a total of 1.2 kilometers with their bags to a bus waiting on the other side. While some bus lines seemed to pull this off without a hitch, one traveler noted that two full bus loads from San Jose converged awaiting the connecting bus on the other side, and had to fight to claim their seats. An even worse situation was found for truck drivers who had to stay with their cargo as little security was provided, and limited food supplies were available.

I have lived in Costa Rica for 16 years, and roads are still the number one concern for residents and visitors alike. They continuously come up as a favorite topic of conversation, and it looks like it is going to be for many more years to come!

It is difficult to know why this problem cannot be solved once and for all, as it seems that road work is incessant in this country, so the lack of money doesn’t seem to be the main issue! Indeed, it is not less an issue of a lack of money but more so how it is spent, without any good planning.

Let’s take for example the Multiplaza shopping mall: it has an access road coming from Paco, in Escazu; 5 years ago there was nothing on this road, then companies started to settle down there. One of the first things that happened was that they built a better road. Soon, however, construction teams started to dig up this road, up and down, making huge holes to install pipes, cables and whatever else is needed whenever a new mall or company was being built. The end result is the typical patchwork and potholes that make Costa Rica roads so famous.

The local solution for such problems is not much better than the Ministry of Transportation’s. When a hole is discovered, someone always finds something to stick into it, a branch, a stick, or a lead pipe, so that the cars, instead of falling in the hole can get even more damaged when they drive over it!

Works are now under way, after many years stalling and talking and finding the money, for the San Jose-Caldera Highway. The road is now undergoing major construction, as it will have six lanes all the way… except that of course, the new bridges that are now ready only have two lanes each! One doesn’t need a degree to see that this will cause enormous queues when heavy traffic will try to squeeze in these bottlenecks… further example of great planning!

The state of Costa Rican roads is a joke. As Costa Rica Tourism continues to gain in popularity, why isn’t the government ashamed of this? This country’s future lies in tourism, it has so much to offer, it is a beautiful country, unique with its extensive flora and fauna.

We aren’t asking for a miracle, just roads, normal roads. I have traveled by car in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala; they are all poorer than Costa Rica, by far, yet, the roads are fabulous! It is really something to be embarrassed about, and it is time for less promises and more action from the part of the government of this country.

Photo courtesy of La Nacion.

This post's rating:

Related Stories

Filed under: Tico, Travel on August 5th, 2008