National Route 606 (Costa Rica)

National Tertiary Route 606 shield}}
National Tertiary Route 606
Ruta nacional terciaria 606
Route information
Maintained by Ministry of Public Works and Transport
Length52.880 km (32.858 mi)
Major junctions
South end Route 1 (Sardinal)
Major intersections Route 605
North endSanta Elena, Monteverde
Location
CountryCosta Rica
Highway system
Route 605 Route 607

National Tertiary Route 606, or just Route 606 (Spanish: Ruta Nacional Terciaria 606, or Ruta 606) is a National Road Route of Costa Rica, located in the Guanacaste, Puntarenas provinces.[1] It is known as Carretera a Monteverde, between Route 1 in Puntarenas province and Monteverde. It is the main access road to the dairy farms and tourist-attraction rain forests of Monteverde.

Description

In Guanacaste province the route covers Abangares canton (Sierra district), Tilarán canton (Quebrada Grande, Cabeceras districts).

In Puntarenas province the route covers Puntarenas canton (Guacimal, Monte Verde, Acapulco districts).

History

While it has historically been mostly a gravel road, there have been recent efforts to asphalt the road in its entirety due to its use by tourists.[2]

Work started in June 2017, with a projected end date of September 2018, to stabilize and widen some sections of the road. Work also began to pave the remaining 17-kilometer dirt and gravel section from Guacimal to Santa Elena. However, some of the residents have concerns about the effect of increased traffic and visitors on the area.[3]

By December 2018, the contractor Grupo Orosi had a 22% advance on the work, with a three-month delay after the original project end date. The contract was canceled due to the lack of progress and financial uncertainties of the contractor. There were also concerns by the National Laboratory of Materials and Structural Models (LANAMME) about the quality of the material in use. The last segment remains unpaved as of October 2019, while awaiting a new contract with a different company to continue the work, projected to start in May 2020.[4][5][6]

Landslides are common in the rainy season.[7]

References

  1. ^ "GeoPortal". Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transporte de Costa Rica. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Mejoras en la Ruta 606 entre Guacimal y Santa Elena benefician Comunidades de Monteverde". 14 February 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  3. ^ Ávila, Laura (4 May 2019). "Construcción de Nueva Carretera a Monteverde reta al desarrollo turístico de la zona". Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  4. ^ Recio, Patricia (22 December 2018). "Asfaltado de 17 kilómetros a Monteverde vuelve a quedar varado". Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  5. ^ Recio, Patricia (28 March 2019). "MOPT Prueba en Monteverde nuevo Modelo para construir carreteras". Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  6. ^ Recio, Patricia (2 October 2019). "Asfaltado de ruta a Monteverde se iniciaría hasta mayo del otro año". Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  7. ^ Cabezas, Yaslin (2 October 2020). "Derrumbe mantiene cerrado el paso en Monteverde". crhoy.com. Retrieved 2 October 2020.