Road to Jacó Approved (San Jose – Caldera)
In theory, the nearly 3 decade wait is over! The Comptroller General has authorized the highway concession to Autopistas del Sol, in substitution of Concesiones Viales (Covisa). The road will cost approximately $150 million and will run from La Sabana Park to Puerto Caldera near Puntarenas. The concession consists of rehabilitation, improvements, construction, operation and conservation for a period of 25 years on the 76.8 kilometers of highway. Work is to begin in the middle of 2006.
The first stage is La Sabana to Ciudad Colón, this highway already exists, but needs widening in some places and repairs in others. The second phase is Ciudad Colón-Orotina, which is a brand new section that has been planned for over 25 years. The last stretch is between Orotina-Caldera, which is a turnoff point for vehicles going to Jacó. The new roadway is expected to cut the travel time between San José and Puntarenas by 1 hour. Vehicles should be able to travel consistently at between 80and 100 kilometers per hour.
The consortium Autopistas del Sol was formed by the following companies: PI Promotora de Infraestructura S.A., Itinere CR Valle del Sol S.A., Infraestructuras SDC Costa Rica S.A. y M&S Desarrollos Internacionales S.A.
In November of 2004, Covisa informed the government of their decision to retire from the project, due to delays in the appropriation of land essential to the project.