Caldera Highway gets construction go ahead at last

http://www.daystar-properties.com/pdf/news/calderaHighway.pdf

 

Transport officials have given the muchawaited
go ahead for the $230 million Sa José-Caldera highway.

 

This means that Autopistas del Sol S.A., the
concession holder for the project, has 30
months to complete the highway. The 77-km
(48-mile) highway will decrease dramatically
the travel time from the Central Valley to the
Pacific coast.

The first stage of the job is the reconstruction
of the existing highway from Parque La
Sabana to Ciudad Colón. Much of the
highway already is multi-lane.

The big job is a 39-km (24-mile) section from
Ciudad Colón to Orotina. That highway is
only graded roughly now, although bridges
are in place. The third and final step is
improvements of the highway from the
Orotina interchange to the Puerto de Caldera
at Puntarenas.

Autopistas del Sol will have the right to
collect tolls for 25 years to offset the
investment.

The Ministerio de Obras Públicas y
Transportes said that employees worked
during the holidays to make sure all the
requirements were in place for the start of
construction.

Autopistas finally got all its financial
commitments in order four days before
Christmas, and a company official asked to
be allowed to start work a week ago.
During the holidays transport ministry
workers said they got final approvals from the
Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía, reviewed
and approved plans and did the paperwork so
that the company would not have to pay taxes
on imported equipment. Environmental
approval was needed because Autopista will
take gravel from several deposits along the
route.

Ministry workers also had to coordinate with
the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz, the
Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y
Alcantarillados and the Instituto
Costarricense de Electricidad for moving
water and sewer lines, electric lines and
telephone cables, they said.