He reported that repair and reinforcement work is currently being carried out on approximately 50 bridges nationwide, as part of a preventative program to ensure the safety of the population
SANTO DOMINGO.– President Luis Abinader assured that the Government is developing a broad program of evaluation, reinforcement and rehabilitation of strategic infrastructure to reduce the country's vulnerability to a possible earthquake, following the recommendations of national and international experts in structural engineering.
The head of state explained that, following technical evaluations carried out by specialists, the Government has implemented interventions on bridges, schools and other public works considered to be at greater risk, and highlighted the work carried out by the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie), directed by engineer Leonardo Reyes Madera, whose recommendations have served as the basis for the actions undertaken by the Government.
“We are correcting and rebuilding infrastructure where necessary,” he stated.
Bridge reinforcement
He reported that repair and reinforcement work is currently being carried out on around 50 bridges nationwide, as part of a preventative program to guarantee the safety of the population, and recalled that technical evaluations allowed for the timely identification of the deterioration of the La Vega bridge, which led to the restriction of its use before its collapse.
“We had prohibited traffic because we had already carried out the corresponding investigations and, thank God, we acted in time,” he said.
He also indicated that the Francisco del Rosario Sánchez bridge (17th Street bridge), the La Barquita bridge , and several overpasses with structural conditions requiring attention have also been repaired
Schools are part of it
Regarding educational infrastructure,the president explained that the Government has concentrated efforts on buildings located in areas of greater seismic risk, particularly in the vicinity of the Septentrional fault, considered one of the most active in the country.
As part of these preventative actions, he reported that between 40 and 50 schools have been evacuated due to structural conditions that made intervention necessary.
“We have made decisions to improve these schools and ensure the safety of students, teachers, and administrative staff,” he said.
The president stated that no country can claim to be fully prepared to face a major earthquake; however, he assured that the Dominican Republic has adopted all the technical measures recommended by specialists to strengthen the resilience of its infrastructure.
He also explained that one of the main areas of focus is on buildings constructed before the implementation of the national seismic code in 1979, when the country did not yet have mandatory anti-seismic design standards.
“The buildings constructed before that date are the ones that require the most attention, and that is where we are concentrating a good part of our efforts,” he said.
The president reiterated that the government will continue to implement the technical recommendations of specialized agencies to strengthen public infrastructure and reduce risks from potential natural events, with the goal of protecting the lives of citizens and ensuring safer facilities throughout the national territory.
This information was provided during an interview given to journalists Edith Febles and José Monegro.
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