Stretch of Highway in Nosara to Receive Much Needed Emergency Repairs

The deteriorating highway extending along the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica could soon undergo a massive makeover as part of an emergency project. The Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Carlos Segnini, recently called for immediate improvements to be made to the Ruta 160 highway that extends from Nosara to Sámara. Extending 25 miles, the stretch of roadway is slated to be repaired by the Conseqjo Nacional Vialidad, Costa Rica's road agency. President Luis Guillermo Solís recently met with members of the Nosara community and noted that the roadway was a path rather than a highway. Segnini also visited the local area to ensure that improvements would be made to the roadway quickly. Currently, the road is filled numerous potholes and is prone to flooding during the rainy season. The project is estimated to cost approximately 150 million colons. In addition to an emergency investment, an additional 70 million colons will be provided by the government for improving the highway. The road is expected to be completely paved by next year. Along with paving the road, plans for the project including placing bridges in areas that are most vulnerable to flooding. This is not the first time that improvements have been made to the highway. Last year, the government placed a seal over a stretch of the road that receives heavy traffic. Since those most recent repairs, the seal has already fallen into disrepair, however. The highway has been in poor shape for the past several years. After a Sala IV appeal was filed, a layer of asphalt was finally applied. With the repair of the highway, it is expected that Nosara and areas to the north will receive a boost in tourism as well as real estate sales. During his visit, the president also toured nearby Play Guiones. While there, he spoke with local residents and planted a tree.