That is a question that can not really be answered at this time with any degree of accuracy. Beginning December 26 they are going to start a 10 week repair program on the bridge which is causing the delays on the westbound side of the airport auto pista. The local media is reporting that are going to be massive delays during construction and the Tourist bureau has asked that the project be postponed until the low season. That request is unlikely to be granted for a number of reasons but mainly because the low season is rainy season not the ideal time to schedule major construction projects.
The transitos are reporting they will have 62 officers assigned to the pista and the alternate routes in an attempt to keep traffic moving. The department responsible for the project says the major delays will not occur until the last few weeks of the project but many believe it will be a nightmare from the beginning.
Best thing is to wait until a week before your trip to the airport and see how things are going.
Here is an article about it.
Quote:
Total Chaos Expected With "Platina" Bridge Repair
In less than a month the autopista General Cañas in the San José - Alajuela direction will become a worse nightmare than it already is, when on December 26 work crews commence the repair of the Virilla "platina" bridge, that will see temporary lane closures.
The situation will be even worse during the ten weeks when both directions of the bridge will be affected by lanes closures.
The prevent a total chaos, the PolicÃa de Tránsito (traffic police) will be on hand with reinforced manpower to re-direct and move traffic, especially during the peak periods.
The Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes (MOPT) decided to begin the work during the "holiday" season, a time when there is less traffic on the roads due to the year end and school holiday periods.
For its part the Camara Nacional de Turimso (CANATUR) has sent the Franciso Jiménez, the MOPT minister, to reconsider given this is Costa Rica "high tourist" season.
If nothing changes, this will be the scenario: 62 Tránsito (traffic) officials will be posted to the detail of moving traffic on the autopista and the divert traffic onto the alternate routes, which will add considerable travel time to and from the airport and points west.
The problem is that the alternate routes - Heredia and Santa Ana - are already heavily congested and will totally collapse when many of the 90.000 drivers that use the General Cañas spill onto those routes.
Lets take a close look.
The Heredia alternative is La Uruca to the Jardines del Recuerdo in the area known as San Francisco and out onto the La Valencia or onto Barreal de Heredia (Plaza Real Cariari). Most of this route is one lane in either direction and with no traffic lights at major intersections.
The Santa Ana alternative, much longer in distance, is the San José - Caldera to Santa Ana (four and six lanes) onto Lindora to San Antonio de Belén (the Panasonic) that is one lane in each direction (and a blocked left turn lane to avoid drivers using it as a pass through lane) that leads to either Barreal de Heredia (Plaza Real Cariari) or past the Intel plant to the Ceverceria and back to the autopista. The major congestion on this route is in Lindora where turn into or from the commercial centres and the Forum 2, not to mention the intersection at the cardboard factory, add to congestion.
Either alternative which currently suffers bottlenecks at various points will be worse when the autopista traffic begins.
César Quirós, director de la PolicÃa de Tránsito, assures that for most of the the work period the Virilla bridge will have all its four lanes open and in the event there is a bottleneck, it will then look for other measures to implement.
_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
Calendar
