Heavy downpours this past Saturday, September 16 created flooding and mudslides on several parts of Costa Rica’s Highway 27, a toll road linking the capital city of San Jose with popular points in the Central Pacific region including Los Suenos, Jacó, Manuel Antonio, Dominical, and areas on the southern Nicoya Peninsula such as Tambor beach.

A cascade of water dumping water and mud onto the highway in the Orotina-Atenas sector late Saturday afternoon was deemed due to an obstruction on the railway line parallel to the route, said transportation officials. (See Video)

Luckily no injuries or deaths were reported during the heavy rains, but nevertheless the route operator, Globalvia, and the Costa Rican National Concessions Council (CNC) jointly decided, after evaluating the situation, to close the highway in the future if a flood risk is present.

During heavy rains drivers can check the Globalvia Ruta 27 website for updates, and in the event of stormy weather, travelers can be on the safe side and take the old route by the international airport and over the Cambronero mountain to westward points, or over the Monte del Aguacate in Atenas to reach Puntarenas.

The University of Costa Rica’s National Laboratory of Structural Materials and Models (Lanamme) has made public statements on several warning about deficiencies with the steep banks along the highway in certain areas. And the wake of a deadly crash on the same highway last weekend, also near Orotina, in which six have died, including a small child, an analysis of the surface by the laboratory revealed the asphalt used tends to be slippery.