The construction of the San José-Caldera highway which is three decades in the making, will begin on January 17, 2008, the ministro de la Presidencia, Rodrigo Arias, announced yesterday.

Arias assures that all is set for the construction of the road is to begin, as the us$230 million dollars financing and the approval by the Contraloría General de la República (Comptroller's office) are all in place.

Last November 29, the Contraloría endorsed the contract the government has with Autopistas del Sol, a consortium of Spanish, Portugue and Costa Rican interests.

Arias added that the contract calls for the completion of the 77 kilometre road by 2010 and is being financed by the Caja de Madrid and the Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica (BCIE).