Planning on going to Arenal This weekend... Might want to change your plans... Courtesy of AM Costa Rica.
Key Arenal tourism route cut by massive slide
A landslide that will block the main road north of Lake Arenal for four or five days took place Thursday.
Residents say this is the last straw on what they consider to be one of the nation’s neglected highways, even if it is a key tourism route.
The highway, Route 142, runs from La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano northwest to Tilarán. What road officials called a slide of a great magnitude took place between the Arenal dam near La Fortuna and La Unión. Even before the giant slide, the highway has been a disaster of crumbling hard surface and potholes every few feet.
The north shore of the lake contains a number of hotels and the community of Nuevo Arenal, as well as La Unión.
Dave Warner and his wife own Toad Hall Gallery and Restaurant in La Unión.
"I have a vested interest in this situation since my business is suffering from the reduced traffic," said Warner. ". . . regardless of that the road really is in shameful condition and can be very dangerous especially after dark and when it is raining."
For those in La Fortuna and along the north shore of the lake, the road represents a route to the Guanacaste beaches. When the road is open motorists can eventually reach the Interamerican highway traveling around the northwest tip of the lake.
Ileana Aguilar, who is in charge of highway cleanup for the Consejo National de Vialidad, said the slide was caused by the heavy rains. She recommended an alternate, Route 4, for those who wish to reach Tilarán.
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