Costa Rican authorities will activate a traffic contraflow system on Route 27 every Sunday in January to help ease congestion during the school vacation period, the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) announced.

The measure will be in effect on Jan. 4, 11, 18 and 25, when traffic typically increases as travelers move between the Central Valley and the Pacific Coast provinces.

The country’s 2025 public school year ended in December for more than 1 million students enrolled in over 5,000 public elementary and high schools nationwide. The school break will continue through Monday, Feb. 23.

Traffic volumes rise sharply during the school vacation season on Route 27, one of the country’s busiest highways linking San José with the Pacific provinces of Puntarenas and Guanacaste.

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To accommodate the heavy return traffic toward San José, officials will reverse traffic flow on a key stretch of the highway. From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., all lanes between the Pozon toll station in Alajuela Province and the Ciudad Colón toll station in San José Province will be directed exclusively toward the capital.

Closures will begin one hour earlier at 1 p.m. and continue until 7 p.m., one hour after the contraflow ends. A maximum speed limit of 37 mph (60 kph) will be enforced during this period.

During contraflow hours, westbound drivers (from San José to the Pacific Coast) must use one of the following alternative routes:

• Route 1: From Río Segundo canton in Alajuela to Esparza canton in Puntarenas, rejoining Route 27.

• Route 3: Through Atenas canton to Orotina canton in Alajuela, reconnecting with Route 27 in Puntarenas.

• Route 239: From the Ciudad Colón district in San José to La Palma district, in the Parrita canton of Puntarenas.

Authorities advise motorists to plan ahead, remain alert to contraflow schedules, and drive with caution.

For real-time traffic information or roadside assistance, travelers may contact Globalvia, the company that manages Route 27, at (+506) 2588-4000.

In related topics, public transportation authorities have temporarily suspended weekday vehicle restrictions in San José during the year-end holiday period.

Traffic Police headquarters in San José and regional offices nationwide are also closed for in-person services during the holiday break.

Although traffic police facilities will be closed, officers will continue nationwide patrols as part of a broader holiday surveillance operation aimed at ensuring road safety.

As of November, more than 1,400 people had been arrested for drunk driving this year, authorities said.

Traffic deaths remain a major concern nationwide. Officials reported nearly 500 roadway fatalities so far this year, with motorcyclists accounting for 52% of the deaths.

The MOPT oversees Costa Rica’s road, port, and airport infrastructure, as well as national public transportation policy.

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