Costa Rica Government Scales Back Route 27 Expansion to Focus on Escazú-Atenas Segment

MOPT Minister Efraím Zeledón confirms the Route 27 expansion will focus only on the Escazú-Atenas section, reducing the project cost from $600M to $300M.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 27, 2026, 10:42 AM EDT

Source: The Tico Times

Strategic Pivot to Critical Congestion Points

In a move to break a long-standing deadlock, MOPT Minister Efraím Zeledón confirmed this week that the government is narrowing the scope of the Route 27 expansion. The new strategy prioritizes the section between Escazú and Atenas, which experiences the highest daily traffic volumes and the most severe bottlenecks. By focusing on this 25-kilometer stretch, the government aims to provide immediate relief to the most congested part of the highway while significantly reducing the initial financial burden of the project.

Financial Restructuring and Concession Realities

The original expansion proposal, which carried a $600 million price tag, covered the entire 77-kilometer highway from San José to the port of Caldera. The decision to scale back to a $300 million project follows a year of stalled negotiations with the concessionaire, Globalvía. Previous attempts by the administration to secure independent financing or "break" the existing contract failed to materialize, leading to a return to the negotiating table with the current operator. This phased approach is seen as a pragmatic compromise to finally initiate works on a road that has operated above its design capacity for years.

Impact on Commuters and the Logistics Sector

Route 27, also known as the Autopista José María Castro Madriz, serves as the vital artery connecting the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) with the Central Pacific coast and the critical port of Caldera. The Comptroller General’s Office recently reported that 17 stretches of the highway operate at over 70% congestion. While the Escazú-Atenas upgrade will benefit thousands of daily commuters, the decision to postpone the Atenas-Caldera sections leaves significant hurdles for the freight industry and tourism to popular destinations like Jacó and Manuel Antonio.