The building of the new Torres River bridge located at 25 Ave. and 86 St., between the Uruca and Pavas cantons in San José, has generated a considerable traffic bottleneck, warned the Ministry of Public Transportation.

Infrastructure upgrades in the area, also known as the Los Ledezma neighborhood, are part of an initiative to modernize the cantonal road network.

The new bridge will be 30 meters long and 10.6 meters wide, with two lanes and walkways for pedestrian crossing. 

The project was budgeted at $1.5 million and financed with an Inter-American Development Bank loan.

Authorities are encouraging drivers to avoid crossing the zone due to the presence of machinery and staff. Vehicle access to the bridge area has been strictly forbidden. 

For drivers who travel through the construction zone, there will be traffic officers regulating the route of vehicles.

Drivers must take alternate routes to reach the cantons of Uruca and Pavas. The suggested route is to take Route 1 (known as General Cañas Highway) to then reach Route 39, (known as Circunvalación Highway), which connects San José to Pavas or Uruca.

According to the ministry, to alleviate traffic congestion in the construction area, two modular bridges will be installed allowing drivers to cross the Torres River more swiftly. However, the assembly of both modular bridges will not be complete until March.

Another temporary solution to reduce traffic would be to issue a government decree enabling public sector personnel living in the provinces of Alajuela, Cartago, and Heredia to work from home. The purpose is to minimize traffic from those provinces into San José.

As a third interim measure to minimize traffic jams, the government ordered staggered work hours for its San José staff. These employees' work entrance hours will be changed in roles beginning at 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 9:30 a.m. This is intended to manage the timing of employees' entrance to the city.

Authorities anticipate that building on the Torres River bridge will last until November 2024.

The Torres River bridge construction is one of numerous infrastructure improvement projects now underway in Costa Rica.   This week, authorities announced that a part of the road connecting the provinces of San José and Limón will be temporarily closed for the remainder of the month to allow for upgrades.

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What other highways in Costa Rica require upgrades? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com