QCOSTARICA – For the third consecutive night, the Ruta 32, which connects San José with Limón, was closed from 7 pm Friday and until 6 am this morning, Saturday.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) reported that the preventive closure is being carried out due to the current state of rains, wind and fog in the mountainous area of the Zurqui, which the road runs through.
The MOPT specified that, eventually, it will reopen passage, if conditions allow it.
Alternate routes are 126 (by Vara Blanca) and 10 (by Turrialba), but these roads are also affected the inclement weather conditions and are being monitored by the National Highway Council (Conavi).
“Users are asked to comply with the road signs and drive with caution, in a rainy state it is recommended to use the vehicle lights on,” Conavi said in a statement.
Since Wednesday afternoon, landslides have occurred in certain sections of the route, but no affected vehicles were reported.
In addition, the Fuerza Publica (National Police) reported several fallen trees near the Zurquí tunnel.
Rains in the Caribbean
Although this Friday in some sectors of the country and, mainly the Caribbean region, experienced a significant decrease in the intensity of the rains, about 270 people remain in five shelters.
The announcement was made during the morning by Alexánder Solís, president of the National Emergency Commission (CNE), who added that the rains that began the previous Wednesday affected about 60 communities in various cantons of the country, especially those located in the Caribbean.
However, he mentioned that it is the areas of Matina, Talamanca, as well as Valle la Estrella, which belongs to the canton of Limón, the places that suffered the greatest effects of the storm, roads and houses are still flooded.
Likewise, he mentioned that other cantons such as Guácimo, Siquirres and Turrialba, suffered important damages.
