Dominical Costa Rica the next Jaco?

Costa Rica has seen many loans come and go over the past 47 years and the majority of the highway has been complete, however the last 42kms have been an on-going struggle according to MOPT (Public Works and Transport). Destructive rainy seasons over the past couple years have taken already dilapidated bridges and rendered them impassable.

Orlando Castro, president of the Costa Ballena Tourism Chamber, which represents about 40 businesses in the Dominical and Ballena National Marine Park area, also expects the road to lead to an increase in tourism. "It is extremely important for our region," Castro said. "The lack of a road represents a plug that keeps people from going past Quepos and Manuel Antonio." "The general perception is that it is difficult to get here, the roads are full of potholes, and there is no way to go back from here if there is bad weather."

Work on paving the stretch of road between Quepos and Dominical is expected to begin this October and take one year, Public Works and Transport(MOPT) Minister Karla Gonzalez recently announced.

"The paving is expected to be completed in a year, so in October 2009 we will be inaugurating the Costanera Sur (highway)," Gonzalez said last week at an inauguration event for the recently completed Paquita, Portalon and Matapalo bridges

With the paving of this section of the highway it will allow for much more rapid commuting from Dominical to Quepos. For example if you were to leave now for Quepos from Dominical, the trip will take you a minimum of 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Not to mention the damage inflicted on your car via the boneshaker express. Once completed this trip should take a mere 20-30 minutes.

It would appear high on the agenda of the current administration (President Oscar Arias) to complete this project so they finish their term on a high note before the new administration is introduced in 2010.

The areas around Dominical like Uvita, Ojochal, and other smaller communities scattered throughout the Costa Ballena, are all expecting the completion of this project to boost not only tourism but also increase investments in these areas also. Some bold claims already float around these areas that once complete, the highway will "pave the way" to a new Dominical that could possibly, in the near future, resemble what Jaco is now. And of course the expected rise in Costa Rica real estate values in the area.

One thing is for certain. When the road from Quepos to Dominical is paved and complete, this will most certainly lighten the traffic of heavy trucks that currently travel the highway from San Isidro to Dominical and then down to Panama to service the areas in between.