The Chinese construction company extending the road to Limón has asked for a 400-day extension to complete the work. At first glance, needing over a year extra sounds excessive, but many things outside the company’s control have gone wrong along the way. The company has only progressed by 15% in two years.
Conavi agreed to an extension but of only 174 days. The need for 174 days has been recognized to be needed due to the delays in expropriations, the transfer of public services, and interference by strikes.
The project should be finished by March 2021, according to this extension. The company is required to present next week a detailed plan to ensure that the first 20 km will be done within two months.
The project has an investment of $465 million, $396 of which is financed by the Eximbank of China. $69 million is from a national counterpart. An additional $100 million is requested from the same Chinese bank for works not included in the original contract.
