EscucharSAN JOSE - The traffic jams drivers feared for the La Uruca road, on the northwest approach to this capital city, were prevented yesterday by the traffic police.
Heavy vehicles were transferred to other roads in order to relieve the way, where the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT in Spanish) yesterday began the replacement of a temporary bridge for a permanent one over the Torres River.
The dismantling of the temporary structure began at 9 a.m., but there was no major interruption in the flow of cars because of the guidance provided to drivers by the police and because of two detours which were arranged allowing cars to travel either from San José to La Uruca or vice versa.
Trucks and buses were fully detoured from the place of the works, which will take four months, according to estimates from MOPT officials.
A traffic policeman, Daniel Alfaro, told La Nación that there will be agents available as long as the works last. ``But everything has been arranged so as to prevent jams. We expect no major problems during this period.''
The road is used daily by 50,000 vehicles and the temporary bridge was placed after part of an old structure sank. The new four-lane, concrete bridge whose placement began yesterday is expected to boost the flow of vehicles in and out of the capital. Its cost is ¢100 million ($414,000).
The bridge over the Torres River is one of five major projects the MOPT is developing in San José's ring road, at a cost of ¢620 million (over $2.57 million), institution officials said.
