The asphalt on a 10-kilometer stretch of Route 160, that former presidents Oscar Arias, Laura Chinchilla and Luis Guillermo Solís promised for years, is coming to Nosara,.

When the First Lady and Coordinator of the Chorotega Region, Claudia Dobles, announced that on Monday, September 21, the asphalt work from the Santa Marta crossing to Garza would begin,many residents doubted that it would happen; however, now it is a fact.

“We are fulfilling a historical debt with the region, an investment that will benefit the productive and tourist activity of the Nicoyan communities in the area that for years have waited for this road improvement,” said the First Lady in the press release.

At the Nosara Civic Association we deeply appreciate the constant work of the Route 160 Committee and the Nosara Integral Development Association (ADIN). Thanks to their monitoring, we are seeing asphalt in our community today.

According to Gerardo Brenes, a member of the Ruta 160 Committee, Meco is the company in charge of the asphalting and has a period of 60 days to complete the work.

What’s Next Now?

According to Brenes, one of the points that the committee is also monitoring is the road signs – from street painting to road signs. This can be done when the Ministry of Public Transport Works (MOPT) makes official delivery of the highway to the National Highway Council (Conavi).

Another of the pending issues is the three bridges that are needed; one on the Sube y Baja creek (in front of the gas station) and two in La Esperanza -one of them on Río Esperanza and another on Río Rempujo.

Marco Avila, trustee and president of the ADIN, explained that these are in the bidding stage, because the bases of the first designs did not account for the necessary depth. As a result, the contract had to be extended and a new tender had to be launched to define which company will be in charge of finalizing them.

Ávila also commented that in the coming weeks the ADIN will be convening the different associations of Nosara and Sámara to work on the project for the remaining section of Route 160 between Garza and Sámara.

He said the ADIN presented a work plan to the Municipality of Nicoya, which was approved by the Municipal Council, to asphalt an additional 35 kilometers,to be distributed at the main entrances to the beaches and in the communities of Las Delicias, Esperanza, Arenales and Nosara Centro.

According to the Casa Presidencial press release, the asphalt work on the 10km required an investment of ¢ 1,092 million and will use 19,680 tons of asphalt mix.