SANTO DOMINGO - Cristian Rojas, president of CODIA, the Dominican College of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors, believes that the lack of maintenance was one of the reasons that caused the collapse last Tuesday of one of the docks at the Don Diego Port, San Souci.
“Regardless of the cargo placed on the dock, the lack of maintenance also had an effect on the deterioration of that dock,” explained engineer Rojas.
The president of the Codians asserts that the country's infrastructure deteriorates because the ministries lack a policy for constant maintenance of the works and limit themselves to superficial painting or react only when there is a broken pipe or a leak problem.
He specified that concrete structures need to be constantly checked, after making a call from CODIA for resources to be invested in the maintenance of the various structures in the country.
He believes that docks and ports are subject to environmental hazards because seawater contains many salts and sulfates that cause effects on steel and concrete structures.
“Therefore, we call on the authorities to pay more attention to the maintenance of structures and bridges, since bridges are heavily used by the population,” declared the representative of construction professionals in the country.
He recalled that the pier was built in the early 1990s, so its condition dates back more than 30 years.
Collapse due to "negligence"«
According to Andrés Matos, director of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications, the company San Souci Ports committed to rebuilding the destroyed part, which acknowledged - according to the official - that the situation originated from "negligence".
“It was due to their negligence; they put a load on the piles that they couldn't support, and that's why it collapsed. They said they would take care of the repairs, and Public Works will provide technical advice,” Matos said.
About the port
The Port of Santo Domingo stands out as the main multipurpose port in the Dominican Republic and the first in America.
Located in the heart of Santo Domingo, and managed under concession by San Souci since 2005, it is known for being the leading port operator in vehicle processing in the Dominican Republic.
It is the commercial, tourist and cultural link between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico through Ferries del Caribe.
It is the only port in the city of Santo Domingo that carries out passenger operations.
