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Evolution Free Zone completes main road overpass on Route 1

• The business park invested US$14 million in the construction of this project.
• Vehicles can travel directly in both directions between San José and the western part of the country.

Alajuela. Evolution Free Zone completed the main road of the overpass that interconnects the Interamerican Highway North, also known as Route 1, with the access to the Free Zone, thus improving the road conditions of the Western Region of Costa Rica. This road was opened for vehicular traffic at noon today, Friday, February 23^rd.

The overpass has a length of 1,561.92 linear meters on Route 1. It has an elevated bridge on which the highway passes directly, with two lanes in both directions (from the west to San José and from San José to the west) that emerge onto the main road.

Álvaro Carballo, President of CODE Development Group, the developer of Evolution Free Zone, explained that the Free Zone invested close to US$14 million in the road works, with the purpose of improving the mobility of this route where the entrance and exit of Evolution Free Zone is located, a business park that will generate close to 20 thousand jobs within the next few years.

In turn, Luis Amador Jiménez, Minister of Public Works and Transportation, said that the Evolution interchange at the entrance to Grecia is a roadway donated by the developer to the Costa Rican government, as part of the works necessary for the Free Trade Zone to be properly integrated.

This access allows recognized multinational companies to start operations in the country and create sources of employment in the region. For this exchange to take place, it was necessary the strong intermediation of the Government of the Republic and the MOPT (Ministry of Public Works and Transportation) more than a year ago, when the Restricted Access Commission was transferred to the Ministry. It is now possible to see the results of this move, stated Minister Amador.

The entrance to the business park will be made by means of four marginal roads -exit and entrance ramps- through the lower part, up to a traffic circle that permits an easy entry and exit.

These approach ramps start in one lane and widen to two lanes on the inside and there is a retaining wall of more than 700 linear meters to support the elevations of the overpass.

According to Carballo, the project consists of an access circuit similar to those designed for major international road projects. The objective is to allow vehicles to enter and exit the Free Trade Zone from and to Route 1 without having to stop at an intersection.

In addition, work continues on the marginal roads located at the bottom of the overpass and the junctions, which are expected to be completed by next April.

With an investment of more than US$200 million, Evolution Free Zone will have a significant economic and social impact on the communities of the central canton of Alajuela, as well as San Ramón, Grecia, Atenas, Naranjo, Palmares, Poás, Zarcero and Sarchí, thanks to the creation of jobs in the region, which will reduce commuting times to the workplace and improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of the Western part of the country.