Costa Rica’s Cambronero Bridge to Reopen

The Cambronero bridge on Route 1 is scheduled to reopen Tuesday, November 3, restoring traffic through a stretch of the Inter-American Highway closed since a truck damaged the structure in September. The reopening is planned for noon, nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. The bridge is at kilometer 71, on the road connecting San Ramón, Alajuela, with Esparza, Puntarenas. The crossing has been closed since the night of September 7, when a tractor-trailer struck the modular steel bridge. Crews had to dismantle parts of the structure, replace damaged components and remove and reinstall the bridge deck. Before those repairs could begin, workers built a support tower to hold the bridge’s weight while damaged pieces were removed. Some parts of that temporary support had to be manufactured specifically for the work. Additional work will continue after the bridge reopens, but those remaining tasks are not expected to interrupt traffic. Drivers should slow down and use caution around crews at the site. The reopening will restore passage through Cambronero while preparations continue for a permanent solution to the ground instability affecting this section of Route 1. Bids for that project are under review, with construction expected to begin in early 2027. The planned work includes stabilizing the slope, removing the modular bridge and restoring the road’s two lanes. A possible third lane is also being studied, but it has not been approved for construction.