The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure announced plans to rehabilitate a number of stretches of road that are in a bad state of disrepair, some of them along the heavily-trafficked natural corridor for freight transport up and down the Central American isthmus. Most of the roadwork is to begin later this year, once the rainy season ends. Meanwhile, your shocks and chassis will continue to get a pounding as you drive along the potholed lanes.

To improve overland transport to the northeast Atlantic Coast, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration approved financing of $5 million to pave over some stretches from Río Blanco to Siuna that are notorious for becoming mudholes in the rainy season that swallow up whole trucks.

And in the never-ending saga of the Pacific Coastal Highway (yawn), there was a major setback. The design phase for this route that would link many prime sites for tourism development began a couple of years ago, but the plans were sent back to the drawing board. Whoever was in charge came up with a proposal that would cost too much to build. Expect further delays.