Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rican President Laura Fernández began her first official tour of Puntarenas province on Monday with a series of infrastructure announcements for Quepos and other Central Pacific communities.
A highlight is the modernization of the La Managua (Quepos) airfield, a dream where the government plans to expand capacity to accommodate private flights and build a new passenger terminal.
The agenda kicked off in the community of Londres, Quepos, with the inauguration of a modular bridge over the Naranjo River. This 95-meter-long structure represented an investment of ¢466.5 million colones (US$1 million) and will benefit more than 35,000 residents in local communities.
Minister of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) Efraín Zeledón explained that the new structure replaces a crossing that no longer met safety standards. He emphasized that it restores a vital connection used for commuting to schools and workplaces, as well as for transporting local produce and goods.
“This new crossing means being able to get to work, take children to school, or transport local products with greater safety,” Zeledón noted during the event.
The minister added that the project is part of a broader program comprising 35 road and bridge interventions under the Emergency Program for Comprehensive and Resilient Infrastructure Reconstruction (PROERI), involving investments exceeding US$70 million in the area. He also announced the launch of four-year road maintenance contracts to service various Pacific corridors.
Government targets private flights
One of the day’s key announcements concerned the La Managua airfield in Quepos—a facility the executive branch aims to leverage to boost tourism. Zeledón announced an investment of approximately ¢2.1 billion colones (US$4.5 million) to develop an apron for private flights, capable of accommodating up to nine aircraft and one helicopter.
Plans are also in place to proceed with contracting a new passenger terminal, as part of the investments intended to modernize the canton’s aviation infrastructure.
The minister stated that total investments related to the airfield would exceed ¢5 billion (US$10.9 million), taking into account the various planned works.
The modernization of La Managua has been part of state planning for years. Government budget documents include the construction of a new passenger terminal, access roads, and an aircraft apron as part of the project to improve service for airfield users.
Fernández used the announcement to directly express the intention of attracting a higher-spending tourism segment to Quepos.
“We want flights; we want flights—private jets landing in Quepos,” the president stated during her speech in London.
The president maintained that the investment could have a significant impact on tourism activity and create economic opportunities for the canton’s residents.
“I am certain that this investment of ¢2.1 billion colones will enormously boost tourism in this area,” she added.
More Bridges for the Central Pacific
Airport infrastructure was not the only announcement made. Fernández also reported that the government is allocating ¢520 million colones (US$1.1 million) for work on the Savegre River bridge—another structure that, as she explained during her speech, had reached the end of its service life.
The president also defended the investment made in the new bridge over the Naranjo River and stated that she had personally overseen the project’s execution, given its importance to nearby communities.
“I am certain that every colón of the ¢466.5 million this bridge cost was money well spent,” she declared.
Quepos Mayor Patricia Bolaños Murillo highlighted that the structure not only benefits the communities of Londres and Naranjito but also helps connect the canton with other parts of the country, including Dota and Tarrazú.
The old bridge had reached the end of its service life and had to be closed to vehicle traffic, forcing families in communities such as Lourdes and Villa Nueva to travel longer distances to access medical services, schools, jobs, and economic activities.
The tour also holds a personal significance for Fernández. The president recalled that she was born in Puntarenas and that Londres de Quepos is the hometown of her husband, Jeffrey Umaña Avendaño; during the event, he was named a “favorite son” of the Quepos canton and received honors from local community organizations.