The Contractor is being accused of cutting the road to steep which allows to much sediment to flow into the natural waterwaya.
After many years it looked like the San Jose – Caldera new highway was going on schedule and be completed in February 2010. This much-awaited Autopista del Sol (The autopista, a concession highway where users pay a toll) that will dramatically cut travel time from the Central Valley to the central Pacific beaches. Since May, 2009, year Costa Ricans have experience delays, traffic chaos, and toll road hikes caused by this expansion. See Costa Rica Toll and Gas hikes
But it looks like they will have to continue with more hardships – suddenly the Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo, Costa Rica’s nation’s environmental panel, court stopped construction on much of the new highway from Ciudad Colón to Orotina after many of the tolls booths had been open.
The environmental unit, the Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo, said Thursday it was concerned by the effects of construction was having on the Barva acquifer and the direct or indirect effects on about 20 rivers and streams west of Ciudad Colón. The main concern is the flow of sediment into the waterways. The contractor has been criticized.
And as expected, the contractor, Autopista del Sol S.A., immediately defended, since they started, much of the work they had done was being supervision by numerous government agencies, adding, the tribunal has failed to consider a number of documents the company has presented, including those that expressed concern of the flow of sediment into the waterways. Interesting …
And strangely enough, many Costa Ricans have criticized the contractor as being too delicate with the landscape, saying that some of the highway cuts were too steep. A lesser cut means moving less dirt, which means less costs to the contractor.
According to the Tribunal, the contractor has to come up with plan to removed the sedimentation that already has flowed into the waterways. And some sort of technique that will also prevent and/or slow the flow of water that might carry sediment into these waterways along other parts of the highway.
Obviously there is going to be a pissing match here. Regardless, the delay of this project will put others at risk, like the Atenas retention dam, not counting the fact it will continue to hurt the economy in the beach areas such as Jaco, Herradura, Manuel Antonio, Quepos and Puntarenas.
The highway is about 77 kilometers long with and estimated cost of $230 million USD.
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