MOPT: Bridge Network Requires us$200 Million
November 27th, 2009 | by admin |Costa Rica’s Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes - public works and transport ministry (MOPT) - says it needs to invest us$200 million over the next three years to improve bridge infrastructure, local paper La Nación reported.
These resources would be sufficient to carry out maintenance on the country’s bridges which have been neglected for several decades.
However, MOPT does not have enough budget to complete the works, as the amount represents 82% of road council Conavi’s 2010 budget, which is approximately us$245 million, the report said.
In its 2010 annual budget, Conavi designated us$15 million for bridge repairs which is only enough to repair 10 of the total 1,300 bridges in the national road network.
The structures considered to be a priority by Conavi are those which are vital for tourism, and national and international trade.
The newly appointed MOPT minister Marco Vargas confirmed that bridge repair and construction will be a government priority until May 8 of next year, when President Óscar Arias’ administration comes to an end.
To finance some of the other works, the ministry aims to use a us$17 million loan from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Cabei).
Vargas has said he wants to use part of a us$850 million IDB transport and infrastructure loan. However, the disbursal of this loan has been delayed because congress has still not approved the funding.
