Finally, after more than three decades of planning, promises, starts, stops and delays, the San José - Caldera highway, though some prefer to call it a road, is a reality and travel between the interior of Costa Rica and the Pacific coast is at least 45 minutes faster.
 

However, Ruta 27 is not cheap. A round trip between the Sabana, San José and Puerto Caldera, Puntarenas, costs ¢3.860 in tolls (¢1.930 in each direction), for the 77 kilometre trip that takes less than an hour.
 
On Wednesday, Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, officially inaugurated the road wich for some moments was open to the public from Orotina to San José, who were met by protestors at Pieades (Cuidad Colón exit), having to turn around and take the San Rafael exit that weaved around the La Reforma prison and ended up at the Panasonic.
 
Protestors were out early in the morning to stop the inauguration and opening of the highway.
 
A truck dumped debris on the road under the bridge at Piedades and then about 50 protestors maintained a road block all day long, waiting on the presidential motorcade to arrive, to make their concerns known to president Arias.
 
However, the presidential motorcade took the San Rafael route, avoiding the roadblock, to attend the inauguration ceremony at Orotina.
 
The road officially was opened to traffic Wednesday night and the toll stations began collecting at midnight.
 
Even though the road is now open and the tolls are being charged, parts of the road is still missing signaling, bus stop bays, lighting and rail guards.
 
What the road means to many is a savings in time, fuel and wear and tear on their vehicle.
 
Some prefer to call the highway a road, since it is for the most part a two lane road that weaves between the mountains, not much different than the other roads that lead to and from the Pacific, but with tolls.
 
Until yesterday, the only routes to and from the Pacific  coast from San José was the Cambronero or the Desmonte (Aguacate), which took almost two hours to make the trip between San José and Puntarenas.
 
The new San José - Caldera road now means the trip takes less than an hour and no mountains to climb or descend.  Also, the new road offers passing lanes at points where there some gentle climbs, allowing slow moving traffic to the right.
 
Whatever you call it, a road or a highway, to paraphrase president Arias during the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, the new highway will be a boost to tourism.