Published on Monday, July 6, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Regular traffic resumed Monday on a section of Route 27, near the sports field in the Coyolar District, Orotina Canton, Alajuela Province, after weeks of repairs following a major roadway collapse, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) announced.

Traffic officers have been deployed to the area, and warning signs have been installed to help manage traffic while the final phase of repairs is completed.

All vehicles are now permitted to travel through the affected section at any time. However, drivers are required to reduce their speed to about 18 mph as road crews continue cleanup operations.

Route 27, which connects San José Province with the Pacific provinces of Puntarenas and Guanacaste, was closed on May 27 after a major collapse occurred on a two-lane section in Coyolar District.

The collapse happened while Globalvía, the company that operates Route 27, was installing a new culvert. According to authorities, heavy rainfall sent a large volume of water down a hillside adjacent to the highway, destroying the drainage structure and causing the roadway to collapse.

At the time of the incident, MOPT Minister Efraím Zeledón said the government was investigating the collapse and was considering imposing a $50,000 fine on Globalvía for each day the highway remained closed.


The penalty is part of the sanctions established under the concession contract between the ministry and Globalvía, the Spanish-owned company responsible for the management, maintenance, operation and toll collection of Route 27.

The reopening of this section of Route 27 comes as crews continue urgent structural improvements to the Tárcoles River Bridge, widely known as the "Crocodile Bridge," in Puntarenas Province.

Meanwhile, construction continues on a new highway overpass over the Inter-American Highway North connecting the provinces of San José and Alajuela.

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

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