It was on Wednesday that the Government of Luis Guillermo Solis inaugurated the new road between Bajos de Chilamate ien Sarapiquí and Vuelta de Kooper in San Carlos, providing a shorter access to the Puerto Limon.
And today, the day after its inauguration, that the road was flooded.
Carretera inaugurada ayer, Vuelta kooper-Tapón de Chilamate está inundada en el sector de La Finca La Lydia, Pital de San Carlos. pic.twitter.com/sCJ2ljejqf
— Ruta Alterna (@rutaalterna) August 24, 2017
Drivers through the area posted photos on the social media. The Fuerza Publica (police) reported the flooding occurred in the area of the Tres Amigos river when the road and river run parallel to each other.
The Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) confirmed that the heavy rains caused the flooding, but it (the flooding) was for only 15 minutes.
@luisguillermosr Así está la recién inaugurada carretera Chilamate. Quién es el responsable de este error? pic.twitter.com/BeqkTZ4DEq
— Indiana Maroto (@Indimar4) August 24, 2017
Carmen Gallardo, an engineer in charge of the project, explained that “despite the flooding, the transit situation is normal at the moment.” The official added that they will be investigating to determine what happened and for any external cause to the flooding by the heavy precipitation.
The 27 kilometer road is two lanes, with five overpasses and well as a four major intersections and a number of access to communities and parks.allowing a reduction of 60 kilometers between the two points, reducing travel time and costs for the trucker industry, in particular trucks to and from Nicaragua and other parts of Central America, a transit route to the Caribbean port.
The new road cuts 60 kilometers of travel between the two points, reducing travel time and costs for the trucker industry, in particular trucks to and from Nicaragua and other parts of Central America, to the Caribbean port.
Carretera inaugurada ayer, Vuelta kooper-Tapón de Chilamate está inundada en el sector de La Finca La Lydia, Pital de San Carlos. pic.twitter.com/sCJ2ljejqf
— Ruta Alterna (@rutaalterna) August 24, 2017
Construction of the Chilimate – Vuelta Kooper project began in 2013 and came in at a cost of US$80 million dollars.
Like many projects in Costa Rica, despite the road now being open, as Gallardo explained, there are pending works to complete such as ramps and impact damping barriers, whose cost is around ¢1.7 billion colones that are outside the work of the contractor and will be assumed by the MOPT.
On Monday, the new road to San Ramon – San Carlos still under construction also suffered a landslide that took out a section of road.
