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Costa Rica public works ministry keeps highway contract details under wraps

Bnamericas
Costa Rica public works ministry keeps highway contract details under wraps

Costa Rica’s public works and transport ministry keeps defying a court order from late July and refuses to publish the readjusted capex figures and the value of the bid with which Ruta 1 consortium won the Barranca-Limonal highway contract. 

In February, amid rumors that the government would cancel the contract due to delays, a private citizen requested details about the transfer of the contract and the company that would take over. The citizen learned only through media reports that public works and transport minister Luis Amador had classified the details. 

An injunction filed with the constitutional court on June 19 would have required Amador to submit a report containing the information, but the ministry did not comply. In its July 21 ruling, the court also set a 10-day deadline for the information to be provided, but updates have not been reported. 

Controversy

The ministry announced a compensation for Ruta 1, formed by H. Solís and Ingeniería Estrella, to terminate the contract due to delays.

The consortium received US$51mn of a US$182mn loan the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) provided for the highway, of which it used 18%, according to Voz de Guanacaste news outlet. The remaining funds will be used for another project, local media reported. 

Construction began in 2021 and was expected to be completed this year, but only 25% progress had been made. An audit by the ministry in August 2021 showed that 12% of the 416 expropriations required had been completed.

In July 2022, project supervisors Cacisa, LCG Ingeniería and Peyco said progress reached 7% but should have been 43%.

Other problems are H. Solís’ link to a corruption scandal and the continuing costs despite the paralysis, diverting funds from other projects, Amador was quoted as saying by news outlet Amelia Rueda in May.

Works include rehabilitation and building new lanes, and construction of eight vehicular bridges and five interchanges. 

The government is now considering requesting funds from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Cabei) to complete the highway.

Pictured: Barranca-Limonal highway bridge. Source: Lanamme

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