Costa Rica's Comptroller General of the Republic approved the contract for the Route 32 expansion and renovation project on the 26th. The project is undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC), with a mixed loan provided by the Export-Import Bank of China. The contract took effect on the same day.
Route 32 is Costa Rica's most important freight transport corridor, carrying 70% of the country's import and export goods. The highway connects the capital San Jose with Limon, the country's most important port city. CHEC will be responsible for expanding one section from two lanes to four lanes, and building 36 new bridges of various sizes and other facilities along the existing road. The section CHEC is responsible for expanding is the Rio Frio to Limon section, 107.24 kilometers long.
Zhou Jingxiong, senior project manager of China Harbour Engineering Company Costa Rica S.A., said the construction contract was signed by CHEC and Costa Rica's Ministry of Public Works and Transport on June 3, 2013. The contract is an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contract with a value of US$465.5 million, of which 85% is a mixed loan combining preferential loans and commercial loans from the Export-Import Bank of China, and 15% is raised by Costa Rica itself.
Zhou Jingxiong said the project duration is three and a half years, divided into two phases: the first phase is the design period, lasting 8 months; the second phase is the construction period, lasting 34 months.
Wu Hong, country manager of China Harbour Engineering Company Costa Rica S.A., said that once completed, the project will effectively shorten travel time between San Jose and Limon and increase transport capacity from all parts of Costa Rica to the Port of Limon, thereby reducing transport costs. In addition, during implementation the project will create at least 1,000 direct jobs and about 10,000 indirect jobs in Limon Province.