SANTO DOMINGO- Given the significant increase in traffic in recent years and the deterioration that the structure has shown at its joints, the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) will hire technicians for more advanced and in-depth consultations on the entire structure of the Duarte Bridge, its head, Deligne Ascención, reported yesterday.
The official cited as one of the causes of the measure the age of the Duarte bridge, which dates back to 1955 and was reopened last Sunday, after three joints showed damage, a situation for which the contracting company Proyectos Industriales, SA, PINSA subjected them to repair since Friday, April 28.
This is the third time in less than six months that the structure has undergone repairs, and the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) has stated its desire to ensure that the work is of the quality that its users deserve.
Ascención said that Public Works appointed an internal commission to evaluate, together with PINSA, the repairs made and the technical specifications, protocols and quality of materials used, etc., in order to ensure more durable work on a bridge that provides important services to a large part of the population of the municipality of Santo Domingo Este, the eastern region of the country and citizens in general.
He explained that during the week the MOPC will be contacting the General Directorate of Public Procurement and Contracting to initiate more advanced consultation processes and include the review of other bridges such as the Juan Bosch, the Ramón Matías Mella, and the Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, so that the Ministry can make a schedule that ensures the proper functioning of the bridges entering and leaving Greater Santo Domingo.
Ascención said that these bridges and other public works dating back a long time have not had adequate maintenance nor have they had the repairs they required to operate with the efficiency that permanently guarantees the safety and well-being of their users.
He said that Pinsa has carried out other satisfactory work for the ministry and that the company is aware that the recurring problems of the Duarte bridge require new and more in-depth studies "which together with your contributions we are undertaking.".
He stated that, given the problems with the Duarte Bridge, he has begun consulting with national technicians and does not rule out including experts and firms from abroad, "because the important thing is to guarantee the users of the bridge all the safety and comfort in their journeys.".
He noted that the structure is over 68 years old, and its use in freight and passenger transport has increased considerably, especially in recent years.
