Q COSTA RICA – As promised last week, the three lanes of the south half of the ‘platina’ bridge – officially known as the “Alfredo González Flores” – opened to traffic this morning. With television news cameras grabbing the action, President Luis Guillermo Solis at 6:00am this morning donned the role of traffic cop and waved the first cars from Alajuela to San Jose, to cross the bridge.
In the words of the President, “We want to emphasize the work is not complete…drivers should use caution in crossing…we couldn’t wait any longer.”
With the President’s hand motion, Transit police immediately removed the barriers and tow lanes of Alajuela – San Jose bound traffic began normal flow. Once traffic of the San Jose – Alajuela bound was diverted onto the one lane of the three new lanes, work crews began immediately working on the north half of the bridge, those three lanes expected to be ready for traffic by April 30.
The opening of the new lanes also means a relief for traffic congestion on the alternate routes.
Also, restrictions for crossing the ‘platina’ bridge were lifted. That is, all vehicular traffic can now move across the bridge, at all hours, removing the limit of only public transit vehicles during morning and afternoon rush hours.
To move the maxim traffic flow in the right direction for the morning and afternoons, the bridge will be two lanes to San Jose and one lane to Alajuela from midnight to noon; and two lanes to Alajuela and one lane to San Jose from noon to midnight. Basically, the centre lane becomes a reversible lane.
