In anticipation of heightened highway volumes with schools on continued vacation, Costa Rican authorities have enacted temporary traffic measures for the month of January. A reversible lane system will be instituted on Route 27 leading to beach locales, while the license plate driving restriction returns to the capital city.
According to the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT), the reversible lanes imposed along the crucial San José-Caldera highway will optimize traffic flow to accommodate the annual swell of vacationers. From January 1st through January 31st, the 47 kilometers between Pozón and the Ciudad Colón toll crossing will facilitate four lane travel towards San José.
The lane reversal system will operate Sunday afternoons from 2 p.m. through 6 p.m. All traffic will be directed westbound during these hours to prioritize those returning from Guanacaste and Puntarenas destinations. To implement the change safely, the highway’s eastbound lanes will close between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Authorities have set the maximum allowed speed at 60 km/h for the duration. Both vertical signs and officers will control reversible lane traffic, while alternate routes have been outlined for those needing to access Caldera during the designated hours.
Additionally, in anticipation of heightened urban congestion, the obligatory license plate driving restriction will resume operation in the capital on January 9th. Vehicles with plates ending in 1 or 2 will be barred next Monday, with those ending in 3 or 4 restricted on Tuesday, and so forth throughout the work week.
The routine license regulation system filters out 20% of vehicles from metropolitan roads on given weekdays as an emissions and traffic mitigation tactic. It was temporarily suspended over the year-end holiday period when reduced traffic allowed free flowing travel.
But with schools still on vacation and Route 27 expected to channel substantial tourist traffic, both measures aim to prevent undue gridlock and hazards through at least the end of January. Officials urge route users to plan accordingly and use utmost caution under modified traffic patterns.
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Ileana Fernandez
