It will be done on buildings that are more than 15 years old.
SANTO DOMINGO.-The Ministry of Public Works and Communications announced this Monday that it will contract, through a bidding process, a forensic engineering study of tunnels, overpasses, and grade-separated crossings that are more than 15 years old, to determine if they have defects or weaknesses that can be mitigated.
“In light of the calamity caused by the recent tropical disturbance, which resulted in loss of life and severe damage to road infrastructure across much of the country, this Ministry deems it necessary, given the time elapsed and the ongoing rains, to convene specialized firms to assess the potential damage to the aforementioned infrastructure,” stated Minister Deligne Ascención in a document sent to the press.
He explains that "due to climate change, atmospheric phenomena are more frequent and occur at different times than the hurricane calendar we are used to, as happened on November 4, 2022, when 245 millimeters of rainfall were recorded in the National District, causing the death of nine people.".
The official stated that on Saturday, November 18, rainfall of 430 millimeters occurred, "which in exactly 12 months we had precipitation never before seen in the last 40 years, that is, 430 millimeters, constituting a record figure.".
He argued that the saturation of the soils in the Capital, the province of Santo Domingo and Santiago forces the MOPC to contract, via bidding, a specialized firm to carry out a forensic technical study that determines the state of the road infrastructures that are more than 15 years old, and whose use and inclement weather may have weakened their structures.
The Ministry of Public Works points out that the Pontón bridge in La Vega, designed and built by previous administrations, collapsed and had to be replaced again by the current administration.
“We want to reiterate the current Government’s interest in preserving road infrastructure, providing maintenance within a reasonable timeframe, in order to preserve the lives and property of citizens,” Ascención stated.
