He claims they were caused by the rains and the malfunctioning of the storm and sanitary drainage systems.
SANTO DOMINGO.- The number of potholes on roads in Greater Santo Domingo and Dominican highways has caught the attention of government authorities, who announced they will intervene on multiple roads through pothole repair campaigns to correct the problem that hinders vehicular traffic and affects road safety.
Yesterday, Wednesday, January 8, the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) offered details of the expansion of the pothole repair campaign it is carrying out on streets and avenues in Greater Santo Domingo, as well as on roads and highways throughout the country, in order to correct potholes attributed to rain and the malfunctioning of the storm and sanitary drainage systems, as well as leaks in drinking water.
At a press conference, the Minister of Public Works, Deligne Ascención, said that this initiative will take place in the country's main cities and will begin in the National District and Santo Domingo province, but will also include the main highways.
He added that the plan consists of a survey of the places where there are drainage and sanitation problems, supported by the Military and Police Commission (Comipol).
“A survey of the main roads in the National District and the main trunk axes of the Dominican Republic has been carried out, but other cities are in progress,” Ascención said.
He stated that this information has been delivered to the MOPC's Technology Directorate, which has prepared a georeferenced map of each of the potholes on avenues, streets and highways that have been raised, in order to subsequently provide a timely response.
“The MOPC has made this effort as a result of the constant rains recorded in the last five or six months, which have caused these potholes in the roads,” he stated.
He stated that this is a response to mitigate, within about 45 days, those situations that arise at some points on several of our main roads, both urban, interurban and provincial.
The Director of Road Paving, Joan Sabino, explained that a survey was carried out to carry out the pothole repair and paving work.
He said that through the survey carried out by Comipol more than 600 potholes , some caused by rain, and others by the malfunction of the storm and sanitary drainage systems, as well as by leaks of drinking water.
“The first ones will be addressed immediately by the MOPC, and the last ones when the Santo Domingo Water and Sewerage Corporation (Caasd) and the National District City Hall correct them,” he said.
Sabino said that the damage caused to the asphalt by leaks in the sanitary and drinking water systems will be addressed after the relevant institutions apply the necessary corrective measures, while damage caused by other factors will be resolved immediately.
Potholes were detected on avenues such as Winston Churchill, Tiradentes, Abraham Lincoln, Bolívar, Doctor Defilló, 27 de Febrero, Sarasota, Ortega y Gasset, John F. Kennedy, George Washington, Restauradores, and Cayetano Germosén. Additionally, potholes were found on the Mella highway and on San Vicente de Paúl, Charles de Gaulle, Sabana Larga, and Venezuela avenues.
The main roads to be improved are the Northeast Highway, the Santo Domingo ring road, the Eastern Highway, along with the Duarte and November 6th highways.
The pothole repair day, which includes the placement of signs, involves 15 brigades equipped with the necessary equipment to correct the deterioration of the roads, thus contributing to increased road safety and better vehicle circulation, as well as extending the time of use of these vehicles.
Also present at the event were the Deputy Minister of Road Maintenance, Luis Bastardo; the Director of Comipol, Major General Rafael Vásquez Espínola; and the Head of Main Road Maintenance, César Ramírez, among others.
