The Traffic Police will begin operational work for the national elections starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, according to an announcement aimed at supporting the electoral process for the presidential and legislative elections.
The first action will be the closure of Avenida 3 in San José, also known as Paseo de Los Damas. This street passes in front of the railway station, the National Library, and the National Park, running along the north side of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE). “That traffic restriction will start at 4 p.m. on Saturday,” said Martín Sánchez Agüero, deputy director of the Traffic Police.
Vehicles that usually use this route must seek alternative roads. Bus routes will be diverted onto Calle 17, passing behind Hospital Calderón Guardia and other institutions until they rejoin near Parque España. The avenue is scheduled to reopen to all vehicles on Monday, February 2 at 5 a.m., Sánchez added.
At JSM gas station, private vehicles heading south will be diverted west past Clínica Asembis; only buses can continue south toward Paseo Los Damas.
Other streets around the TSE will also close from Saturday afternoon and remain closed until Tuesday, February 3 at 2 p.m. These include Calle 15—100 meters north and in front of the TSE—and Avenida 1 from Calle 19 to Calle 11.
A total of 700 officers will participate in these operations alongside other police forces under TSE direction. The goal is to keep traffic flowing so people can reach their polling stations safely and efficiently.
Authorities emphasized efforts to prevent illegal parking near voting centers: “Parking as close as possible to where votes are cast affects vehicle flow at those points where voters converge and could make it harder for some people—especially those with reduced mobility or older adults—to reach their polling place.”
Active patrols between different road points aim to monitor inappropriate behaviors such as overloading vehicles with passengers (which may result in some not wearing seat belts) or using cell phones for photos or videos while driving during election activities. “All previously described actions are violations of traffic law,” Sánchez stated. He encouraged compliance or face sanctions. There will also be checks against illegal passenger transport.
Traffic management teams will cover major urban intersections nationwide and have a presence outside several schools serving as polling stations—including Escuela Metálica and República de Panamá in San José; Rafael Moya School near Palacio de los Deportes and San Francisco School in Heredia; Colegio San Luis Gonzaga in Cartago; Instituto de Alajuela; Santa Cecilia School in Santa Cruz; Leónidas Briceño School in Nicoya; Central School in Guápiles; Nuevo Liceo de Limón; Mora y Cañas School in Puntarenas; Río Claro School further south; Liceo Unesco in Pérez Zeledón; San Juan School in San Ramón; and República de Ecuador school in Naranjo.
These locations were prioritized because they are either situated next to busy national highways like Interamericana Norte y Sur or have large numbers of voters that could create congestion nearby.
Authorities reminded citizens that no exceptions apply regarding child safety devices or seat belt usage: “Respecting traffic laws means there are no exceptions for carrying children without proper restraints, overloading passengers or not wearing seat belts.” They advised pedestrians not to enter streets carelessly during celebrations nor wave flags across drivers’ windshields due to accident risks.
Drivers were urged not to approach voting centers too closely by car, park legally according to regulations, maintain prudent speeds especially near areas crowded with pedestrians participating in election events, all with accident prevention as a priority.
