With elementary and high school students on extended vacation, popular beach destinations like Puntarenas and Guanacaste are bracing for a major influx of domestic tourists this January. In anticipation of the heightened traffic along the route leading to these locations, a series of transit management decisions have been authorized by the National Concessions Council.
Beginning January 7th and continuing each Sunday of the month, reversible lanes will be instituted along Route 27, named after José María Castro Madriz, between Pozón and the Ciudad Colón intersection toll booths. The 47-kilometer stretch of highway will have all lanes directed towards San José between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm. These measures come in addition to the complete closure of the westward road from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm on these same Sundays.
The council conveyed the arrangements to Globalvía, administrator of the San José-Caldera highway, after obtaining approval from the Dirección General de Ingeniería de Tránsito (DGIT). The Traffic Police have also pledged support in enforcing the directives. As per DGIT guidelines, the maximum speed limit under the reversible lanes will be restricted to 60 km/h, and temporary signage will prominently communicate this regulation to motorists.
“We want to ensure that the heightened influx of beach-bound traffic due to the vacation season does not overwhelm the route or result in accidents,” said the National Concessions Council President, Roberto Aguilar. “These measures of opening additional lanes towards San José, combined with a reduced speed limit and cooperation from transit authorities, will mitigate risks.”
The president further added that real-time updates and support through the concessionaire’s call center and Traffic Police would help disseminate information about the procedures. Motorists have been advised to contact the Control Center at 2588-4040 or the Traffic Police’s dedicated line at 2523-3300 for details.
Traffic officials accentuated the need for cooperation from all citizens using the route. “This stretch of road sees heavy use even outside vacation months. So we request drivers to observe these temporary measures on January Sundays and remain below 60 km/h.” Intensifying enforcement is also reportedly under consideration if compliance levels are unsatisfactory.
With advance planning and collective discipline, the authorities are optimistic the reversible lanes will ease congestion caused by the year-starting travel boom to beachside locations. Officials continue to monitor traffic patterns closely leading up to implementation.
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The Tico Times
