The government inaugurated the Sabaneta bridge over the Camú River in La Vega and the El Cangrejo bridge in Puerto Plata yesterday, Thursday. These two projects are of vital importance to the Northern and Cibao regions, and will positively impact tourism development and support agricultural production. Both projects required an investment of over RD$703 million.
The infrastructures were put into operation in two separate events led by the ministers Deligne Ascención, of Public Works and Communications, and José Ignacio Paliza, administrative of the Presidency.
Deligne Ascenion, who led the inauguration ceremony of the Sabaneta bridge, highlighted in his keynote address that the investment exceeded RD$240 million and that the project is a special event, as it replaces the old metal bridge built in 1934 during the Trujillo dictatorship.
“The project we are inaugurating today consists of the construction of a 98-meter-long bridge with a metal and reinforced concrete structure. It is made up of two 10-meter-long cantilevers with reinforced concrete lateral supports, linked by approaches that connect to the existing road on both sides of the bridge,” the official explained.
The cutout at the appointment that inaugurated the bridge. (External source).
It also has a central span in a metal box beam of 0.90 by 1.80 meters, with a reinforced concrete slab of 50 meters in length, and a roadway width of 10.70 meters.
The official stated that the work included horizontal and vertical signage. This project will impact more than 552,000 people and benefits one of the most fertile and productive areas of the Cibao region.
“Today we can raise the flag of success, after many months of waiting, we now have a first-generation bridge over the Camú River, characterized by a modern, safe structure and destined to remain for many years, thus strengthening the transport capabilities of one of the most important productive areas of the country,” added Ascención.
He explained that this project is fundamental for the residents of the Hermanas Mirabal province and has an extraordinary impact on the municipality of Villa Tapia, which is considered one of the region's main banana producers, with a total of 87,000 tareas (approximately 12,000 acres) planted, in addition to producing cassava, sweet potatoes, rice, corn, vegetables, and other agricultural products. "Its residents also engage in poultry, chicken, and pig farming," the minister said.
The blessing of the work was carried out by the parish priest Fray Ignacio Santiago Holguín of the Sacred Heart of Jesus parish, La Vega province, who gave thanks for the construction of this bridge that these communities had been waiting for for years.
The provincial governor of La Vega, Luisa de la Mota, stated that “this bridge that we are putting into operation today received only words from the past; they came to take many selfies, to promise what they would do, and they never delivered on any real action. Some time ago, our president stood here and said he would do it, and here are the results, not just words.”.
The provincial governor of Hermanas Mirabal, Lisette de Adames, also gave thanks on behalf of all the communities benefiting from this bridge, saying, “On behalf of all the people of Mirabal, especially those from Villa Tapia, this very productive community that benefits so much from this construction, I thank the president, the minister of public works, Deligne Ascencion, and the entire team that made this possible.”.
On behalf of the local agricultural community, engineer Alex Cruz expressed his gratitude, saying, "I thank President Luis Abinader and the Minister of Public Works on behalf of all the farmers who benefited from the construction of this bridge.".
The event was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Limbert Cruz; the senator from La Vega, Ramón Rogelio Genao; the vice ministers of Regional Coordination and Road Supervision, Melito Santana and Roberto Herrera; the directors of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) of the Military and Police Commission and the Santiago regional office, General Rafael Vásquez Espinola and Alexis Sosa; the mayor of La Vega, Kelvin Cruz; the deputies from La Vega, José David Pérez Reyes and Ramón Rogelio Lanza, and from Hermanas Mirabal, Hiciano Almanzar.
Crab Bridge, in Puerto Plata
In another event led by the Minister of the Presidency, Jose Ignacion Paliza, Senator Ginette Bournigal, Governor Claritza Rochet, Basilio Gonzalez, among others, the new El Cangrejo bridge was also inaugurated. This bridge serves as a link between Puerto Plata, the Gregorio Luperón International Airport, and municipalities with a tourist focus, such as Sosua, Cabarete, Montellanos, among others.
The Crab Bridge is a modern structure, with a design adapted to new construction technologies, which give flexibility and strength to this type of building for supporting heavy loads.
It has a length of 95 meters, including its approaches. It has a width of 19.8 meters for four 3.65-meter lanes plus their respective pedestrian walkways and guardrails.
The structure is a combination of post-tensioned concrete beams and steel beams resistant to oxidation corrosion, given the proximity to the sea.
It also has 20 support piles on each abutment, each 24 meters long and 1.20 meters wide.
This project was completed with an investment of 463 million 264 thousand pesos, in record time since the signing of the contract.
