Costa Rica New Highway

Something just short of a miracle north of Dominical in Costa Rica. Or the sight that residents of the central Pacific coast never thought they would see,But despite a delay of 30 years, more or less, a contractor is paving the Costanera Sur just north of Dominical.The highway section from Savegre to Dominical is 22.6 kilometers (about 14 miles) and the responsibility of Constructora Solís-Sánchez Carvajal of Costa Rica. The contract is for $15.5 million. A similar project is under way between Quepos and Savegre. Consorcio Meco-Santa Fe has that job. The stretch is about 19 kilometers (about 13 miles) and will cost $16.4 million. Deadlines are by the end of the year if bad weather does not intervene.As residents point out, even when the highway is finally paved there will not be much difference because heavy trucks have been using the route for years, except during frequent washouts when traffic could be stalled for a day or more.The Costanera Sur in Costa Rica is one of the great scenic drives of Costa Rica. The road parallels the Pacific the whole distance from Dominical to Quepos. But it has been a gravel washboard. With some new and rebuilt bridges and paving, residents hope they have an all-weather road.