The Cañas – Liberia section of the Inter-American highway, built by FCC Construcción in Costa Rica, is now in operation. This milestone completes the Mesoamerican Corridor, the link between the protected areas of Central America, and equips Costa Rica with a route that will improve transport and trade in the region.

Almost 127 million euros (140 million dollars) of project financing was provided by the Inter-American Development Bank. The Cañas – Liberia route forms part of the Inter-American North highway as it passes through Costa Rica, measuring 50.61 kilometres long.  FCC used more than 50,000 tonnes of cement and nearly 500,000 m3 of aggregates to build it.

The President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, attended the opening ceremony along with the First Lady of the Republic, Mercedes Peñas, who were joined by the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Carlos Villalta, mayors Luis Fernando Mendoza, William Guido and Julio Viales, the General Manager of the Inter-American Development Bank, Gina Montiel, the Director of FCC Construcción in Latin America, José María Torroja, and the Manager of FCC Construcción in Costa Rica, Mauricio González.

The President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, said “the country now has a new construction to make all Costa Ricans proud, as it reliably demonstrates how well things can be done when there is the will to do so, when there is commitment from the private sector”, and also showed his appreciation for the ongoing support from international financial organisations.

Gina Montiel, General Manager of the Inter-American Development Bank, said that the works carried out to modernise the Cañas – Liberia road are symbolic for Costa Rica given that “a step forward is being taken in terms of improving the country's competitive standards, such as offering a faster yet safe route, adhering to environmental principles, which are so important for the region and support the export sector, tourism, communities and the Mesoamerican region”.

For Carlos Villalta, Minister of Public Works and Transport in Costa Rica, the new Cañas – Liberia section means ensuring progress in the country "with works that make the province of Guanacaste even greater thanks to the quality of the project in all aspects”.

The Manager of FCC Construcción in Costa Rica, Mauricio González, added that FCC carries out very important works throughout the world, which reflects the company's international values. At the same time, he showed his delight at delivering this project to Costa Rica, which he hopes will "mark the first milestone in the development of road infrastructure in the country".

Road safety, a key factor

In order to build the new section, the following were put in place: concrete slabs, bicycle lanes, inner and outer shoulders, kerbs, return tracks, New Jersey barriers, footpaths, bus bays, road signs, land crossings for animals and overlay for embankments.

Road safety was a key element in the project. Therefore, the new construction has 11 pedestrian bridges located in the main urban centres in order to ensure greater pedestrian safety for those who travel around the area on a daily basis on their way to work, hospitals or home. In addition, the road is equipped with a barrier to separate the lanes in opposite directions so as to prevent head-on collisions.