The Electricity Institute (ICE) has completed a $16.4 million project to improve street lighting and internet connectivity along Route 32, the main highway connecting San José Province with Limón Province on the Caribbean Coast.

The project upgraded lighting and telecommunications infrastructure along a 16-mile stretch of the highway, also known as the Braulio Carrillo Highway, according to authorities.

The work included installing 514 utility poles, 511 LED streetlights and 17 telecommunications base stations to provide internet access. Crews also installed 36 miles of fiber-optic cable.

The project also included about 14 miles of partially insulated cable designed to reduce the risk of electrocution among wildlife, 1.3 kilometers of underground cable and 19 liquid-immersed transformers.

The improvements cover a section of the highway between the Zurquí Tunnel in San José Province and the Rainforest Aerial Tram in Guápiles Canton, Limón Province.

Because of the area's rich biodiversity, the project incorporated wildlife protection measures, including overhead wildlife crossings and anti-climbing devices designed to prevent animals from reaching electrical cables and transformers.

The Route 32 project is part of Costa Rica's ongoing national infrastructure investment program. Recently, regular traffic resumed on the Tárcoles River Bridge, widely known as the “Crocodile-Watching Bridge,” along Route 34 in Puntarenas province following urgent structural repairs.

In a related development, ICE recently began construction of seven power plants with a combined capacity of about 170 megawatts and a total investment of $200 million.  The plants are being built in the cantons of Puntarenas, Cóbano, Parrita, Garabito and Montes de Oro, all in Puntarenas Province.

ICE is Costa Rica's state-owned electricity company and the country's main electricity supplier.

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Which roads in Costa Rica should be prioritized for improvements? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com

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