President Rodrigo Chaves Robles signed the “Project for the Expansion and Improvement of the San José-San Ramón Road Corridor and Radial Río Segundo” on April 14. The signing took place during an event attended by officials from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, representatives from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE), local governments from Occidente, and other stakeholders.
The new law includes two lines of credit totaling $770 million. Of this amount, $600 million comes from a loan agreement with BCIE, while an additional $170 million is provided through a credit line with OPEC Fund for International Development.
Efraím Zeledón, Minister of Public Works and Transport, said: “From the Ministry we thank all entities committed to advancing this project that will undoubtedly improve mobility, economy, and quality of life for thousands of people who use it daily and settle a 30-year debt with the Occidente sector by finally intervening in one of the most traveled roads in the country.”
Álvaro Alfaro, BCIE manager in Costa Rica, said: “As Costa Rica’s main financial ally, at BCIE we are convinced that Costa Ricans want, can, and deserve infrastructure that improves their quality of life. That is why we are proud to be part of this historic moment with the signing of the law that will allow us to execute the largest financing ever approved by our Bank to provide a definitive solution to one of Costa Rica’s main connectivity arteries.”
The publication of this law will enable full-scale financial structuring and international bidding processes for works covering 55.6 kilometers along National Route 1—from near Parque Metropolitano La Sabana to San Ramón—as well as 4.45 kilometers between Río Segundo de Alajuela and Belén.
This project directly affects three economically significant provinces—San José, Heredia, and Alajuela—which together hold much of Costa Rica’s population. It is estimated around 582,000 people will benefit from these improvements along with approximately 170,000 daily users traveling this route.
