The initiative has been structured by integrating the Santiago Ring Road and the Amber Highway into a single project, as well as adding part of the land from the Punta Bergantín real estate development project, creating a road and tourist circuit that will greatly boost the development of the northern region
SANTO DOMINGO.-The Amber Highway will be an important boost for hotel development in Puerto Plata and will accelerate investment in tourist real estate development, according to the General Directorate of Public-Private Partnerships (DGAPP), in an explanatory document about the project.
He adds that its construction will also attract a good number of visitors from the capital who currently choose to go to Samaná or Punta Cana because they are 2 hours away, and that in Puerto Plata they will find a great hotel offer at that same travel time.
"This project seeks to promote the construction of an efficient and modern road connection between Santiago de los Caballeros and Puerto Plata, which can currently only be accessed from the "Santiago-Navarrete-Puerto Plata" and "Gregorio Luperón" highways, roads that were built more than 50 years ago and therefore do not have modern layouts that adapt to the current volume of vehicles required to save time and guarantee high standards of quality," the agency says in a document titled "Questions and Answers about the Amber Highway.".
He adds that its implementation will improve traffic flow, reduce accident rates in the area, save almost an hour in travel time from Santiago to Puerto Plata, reduce fuel consumption, and lower vehicle maintenance costs for vehicles traveling between the heart of the Cibao region and the Atlantic Coast.
"The initiative has been structured by integrating the Santiago Ring Road and the Amber Highway into a single project, as well as adding part of the land from the Punta Bergantín real estate development project, creating a road and tourist circuit that will greatly boost the development of the northern region," the agency states.
He adds that the project will improve the area's road infrastructure and will be 32 kilometers long with four lanes (two in each direction), starting at the Santiago Ring Road and ending in the municipality of Montellano in Puerto Plata. The road connection will allow for a journey of approximately two hours from Santo Domingo and less than 30 minutes from Santiago to Puerto Plata.
Regarding the impact on the area, the DGAPP maintains that it will connect Santiago with the Atlantic Coast and boost the economic development of the region's productive sectors. "Businesses in the region will have greater opportunities to offer their products in the local market and compete effectively in the global economy.".
Phase it is currently in
The initiative, for which an estimated investment of $400 million is projected, was declared of public interest in 2021 by the National Council of Public-Private Partnerships (CNAPP), considering the project pertinent and convenient to carry out under the public-private partnership mechanism.
Following this, the financial model was reformulated with the aim of ensuring that its execution was sustainable without the need for a shadow toll and with an adequate distribution of risk and benefit for both the State and the private agent that is awarded the contract.
In this process, the General Directorate of Public-Private Partnerships has been advised by IKONS ATN, a firm specializing in structuring projects through PPP contracts with an emphasis on road sector projects, with more than 21 years of experience and more than 30 projects in Latin America, totaling more than US$12 billion.
The new financial model envisions linking the Amber Highway with the Santiago Ring Road and the Punta Bergantín tourism and real estate development, creating a circuit that will enhance their development opportunities. The initiative is currently in the bidding phase.
Cover photo: External source.
