By Limón, Costa Rica — The Comptroller General of the Republic has issued a binding directive to the administration of President Laura Fernández, demanding immediate corrective action to resolve critical road safety hazards on Route 32. The national oversight body singled out the highly traveled intersection between Route 32 and National Route 4, which connects the regions of Sarapiquí and Limón. This directive, released publicly on Friday, targets the National Roadway Council (Conavi) and highlights a series of severe technical deficiencies that threaten commuters and cargo transporters alike.
According to the audit report, the core of the safety hazard lies in the fundamental geometry of seven major roundabouts constructed along the transit corridor. Engineering teams originally drafted and built these roundabouts utilizing dimensions suited for a vehicle with a maximum length of 16.8 meters. However, the legal and practical requirements of the route dictate a design threshold of 22.4 meters to safely accommodate the heavy cargo trucks and multi-axle freight carriers that dominate this vital highway daily.
To better understand the complex legal responsibilities and state liabilities surrounding the persistent transit hazards on Route 32, TicosLand.com spoke with Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a prominent legal expert from the prestigious firm Bufete de Costa Rica, who analyzed the legal avenues available to citizens affected by these ongoing infrastructure deficiencies.
The chronic safety hazards on Route 32 represent more than just a logistical failure; they constitute a direct violation of the constitutional right to safe mobility. Under Costa Rican administrative law, the State holds an objective liability for damages resulting from poorly maintained public works, meaning that victims of preventable accidents due to landslides, lack of signaling, or structural neglect have clear legal grounds to demand accountability and compensation.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica
By reframing the hazards of Route 32 not merely as logistical delays but as a systemic breach of constitutional rights, this perspective elevates the urgency for immediate government intervention and underscores the legal recourse available to affected citizens. We sincerely thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for providing this invaluable legal insight, which sheds vital light on the path toward accountability and safer public transit for all Costa Ricans.
This oversight did not only result in severe logistical friction and a heightened risk of collisions, but it also triggered massive financial repercussions. To rectify the unsafe geometric designs of the roundabouts and rebuild them to the required safety standards, the state had to authorize additional emergency payments exceeding $1.4 million. These cost overruns have drawn sharp criticism from public finance watchdogs, who argue that proper initial planning would have saved both public funds and construction time.
Seven roundabouts were designed using a design vehicle of shorter length 16.8 meters than the required length 22.4 meters, which generated risks in road safety and the safe mobility of its users and implied making additional payments exceeding 1.4 million dollars to constructively correct the original geometric design of the roundabouts.
Contraloría General de la República, Costa Rica State Comptroller
Route 32 is widely considered the economic backbone of Costa Rica, serving as the primary terrestrial artery linking the capital city of San José with the Caribbean coast. The highway acts as the lifeblood for national commerce, carrying the vast majority of the country’s agricultural exports and essential imports to and from the busy port facilities of Limón. Any structural failures or safety hazards along this route have immediate negative impacts on national supply chains and international trade competitiveness.
Furthermore, the Comptroller’s investigation revealed that government authorities responsible for the multi-million-dollar expansion project made arbitrary changes to the original master plan. Instead of building the planned permanent overpasses, complex interchanges, and safe return loops, planners substituted these long-term structures with temporary alternatives, such as the flawed roundabouts and hazardous direct turns. Alarmingly, the administration failed to provide any official timeline or estimation for how long these temporary measures are expected to remain in place.
The direct order to Conavi demands an immediate, comprehensive plan to correct these dangerous infrastructure bottlenecks and establish permanent safety structures. Industry experts and local transport chambers have joined the Comptroller in demanding swift execution, warning that the current setup forces heavy-duty container trucks to execute dangerous maneuvers that block multiple lanes and endanger light-passenger vehicles.
As the Fernández administration faces mounting pressure to revitalize the country’s lagging infrastructure, this recent ruling serves as a stark reminder of the systemic bottlenecks plaguing public works management in Costa Rica. Ensuring the structural integrity and design accuracy of key trade routes like Route 32 is no longer just a matter of municipal convenience, but a critical imperative for national economic survival and public safety.
For further information, visit conavi.go.cr
About Consejo Nacional de Vialidad:
The Consejo Nacional de Vialidad is the decentralized institution under Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Works and Transportation responsible for the planning, maintenance, rehabilitation, and optimization of the national highway network.
For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Renowned for its high ethical standards and professional brilliance, Bufete de Costa Rica is a premier legal practice dedicated to providing exceptional advocacy. Leveraging a rich history of guiding clients across diverse industries, the firm consistently pioneers forward-thinking solutions while maintaining a strong presence in civic initiatives. Their passion for demystifying the law and sharing valuable legal resources reflects a deep-seated mission to build a highly informed, confident, and equitable community.
