On Thursday, Costa Rica's president, Oscar Arias, made official the completion of the Costanera Sur, the 42 kilometre road between Quepos and Playa Dominical.
Area residents have had to wait some 40 years, pretty fast for Costa Rica, to see the completion of the road that now connects the Central Pacific coast to the South Pacific coast in minutes instead of hours.
There has always been a route between Quepos and Dominical. However, the road was full of potholes, narrow bridges that swayed as they were crossed and flooding was constant during the rainy season, taking hours to cross, if one even dared.
Many of a vehicle had to be pulled from the deep water and mud that filled the road, many others left their axles behind, while others their suspension shot.
For business and most travelling to the Southern zone, it was preferable to risk the Interamericana Sur and the "cerro de la muerte", winding through mountains, fog and slick roads, rather than the Costanera.
Now, travelling from San José to Golfito, by way of the Costanera, is a breeze.
When you take into account the new San José - Caldera highway and the completion of the Costanera Sur, the 6 to 8 hours or more to Southern Zone is now under 4 hours or less.
Area residents have had to wait some 40 years, pretty fast for Costa Rica, to see the completion of the road that now connects the Central Pacific coast to the South Pacific coast in minutes instead of hours.
There has always been a route between Quepos and Dominical. However, the road was full of potholes, narrow bridges that swayed as they were crossed and flooding was constant during the rainy season, taking hours to cross, if one even dared.
Many of a vehicle had to be pulled from the deep water and mud that filled the road, many others left their axles behind, while others their suspension shot.
For business and most travelling to the Southern zone, it was preferable to risk the Interamericana Sur and the "cerro de la muerte", winding through mountains, fog and slick roads, rather than the Costanera.
Now, travelling from San José to Golfito, by way of the Costanera, is a breeze.
When you take into account the new San José - Caldera highway and the completion of the Costanera Sur, the 6 to 8 hours or more to Southern Zone is now under 4 hours or less.
