Snapshot: Costa Rica’s US$160mn Circunvalación Norte beltway

Costa Rica opened part of San José’s US$163mn Circunvalación Norte beltway, for which planning started in the 1960s.

Dubbed the “most important road infrastructure project of the country in the last 30 years” by the head of national roads council Conavi, Mauricio Batalla Otárola, as reported by Diario Extra, works involved a 2.3km elevated viaduct, more than 4km of highway, and the country’s first two three-level intersections.

It will link La Uruca sector and Blancos street in metropolitan San José, connecting routes 1 (Interamericana Norte), 27 (San José-Caldera) and 32 (San José-Guápiles).

Construction was awarded to the La Estrella-Hernán Solís consortium, with oversight provided by UN project office UNOPS. Funds were provided by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Cabei), which is highly engaged in financing Costa Rica’s strategic road infrastructure program. 

UNOPS divided construction into five stretches, or functional units, all built by the same consortium: 

Functional unit I: Between the intersection of highway 39 and Quebrada Rivera;

Functional unit II-A: Quebrada Rivera-Colima;

Functional unit II-B: Colima-Triángulo de la Solidaridad;

Functional unit III: between Triángulo de la Solidaridad and the intersection of highway 32; 

Functional Unit IV: between the intersection of highway 32 and the intersection with Blancos street.

Plans for the beltway emerged decades ago, with congress declaring the project of public interest in 1960. But lack of funds, problems with rights-of-way, and permitting represented hurdles. 

In 2014, the comptroller general demanded construction be streamlined, but relocation of residents, theft at the construction site and other issues caused further delay. Initial capex was US$147mn and works were planned to take 28 months.

The stretch that was opened involves 1.4km of marginal streets, which reportedly lack pedestrian crossings and rail signaling, even though freight trains operate in the area. 

According to Batalla, 80% of the infrastructure should be open by end-March.