COSTA RICA NEWS – Transport authorities are confident that they will be able to reopen the Ruta 32 this afternoon (Saturday), now that 80% of the debris has already been cleared from the roadway.
However, the road will be closed again at the start of any rainfall.
“The weather this morning has allowed us to work to reopen the road. We are no working on the difficult to reach parts like the ditches and culverts,” said David Melendez, head of Emergencies of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT).
“The protocol is that the highway will be closed during heavy rains … it could be 3 in the afternoon, earlier or later and the closures will be for hours, depending on the intensity of the rainfall” added Melendez.
The measure is to avoid a recurrence of Thursday when some 1.200 people and almost 300 vehicles were trapped in between the 40 landslides in the section of the highway between San José and Guapiles. Some reports this morning are putting the number of trapped at nearly 2.500.
The Policia de Tránsito will be present on both ends of the highway, at the Zurquí tunnel on the San José side and at the Rio Frio, at Guapiles, to control or impede access to highway when it starts to rain.
With reports from CRHoy.com; MOPT; Policia de Transito
