Taken from Diario Libre
SANTO DOMINGO- For 25 years, residents and entities of the municipality of Pedro Brand have longed for the relocation of the tollbooth, which is located within the community, so as not to have to pay to enter and leave the area.
This aspiration will be fulfilled when the project for the new toll plaza is completed, which will have 22 lanes and is being built four kilometers further north of the current one, at kilometer 32 of the Duarte highway, between Villa Altagracia and Pedro Brand.
Until now, local residents had complained about the cost of the tollbooth's current location for those who work or commute daily to the National District, and the negative impact this situation has on investments in this municipality of Santo Domingo province, which has a population of 92,605. To exit the tollbooth, a car pays 60 pesos, and a vehicle with seven or more axles pays 300 pesos.
Responding to public demand, the Ministry of Public Works, through the RD Vial Public Trust, approved the relocation four kilometers further north, away from the population center and almost to Villa Altagracia. It will serve the 14 provinces of the Cibao region.
The selection of the site was based on a study by RD Vial and the ministry, as reported by Roberto Herrera, Vice Minister of Supervision and Inspection of Public Works.
Herrera explained that the new toll plaza will have 22 lanes , eleven of which will be open in the first phase. He assured that the entire project will be operational by November of this year.
The work is being carried out by the MAR Construction Company, which is also responsible for the expansion and modernization of the Duarte Highway.
Cost of the work
The modern toll plaza will cost approximately 600 million pesos, funded by the state. It will feature a high-tech system that will make traffic flow faster, safer, and more precise for the more than 150,000 vehicles that will use it daily.
"It will have other features, including a traffic monitoring room. It will be the largest; its size is unique," Herrera reported.
Although it has not yet been defined, there will be a change regarding toll payments for entering and leaving the city.
Currently, two of the six lanes on the section are being used for the work. Earthmoving continues in the surrounding area, and the beams that will support the structure covering the toll system are already being installed.
Separately, other infrastructure is being built, such as the administrative offices, and then work will begin on the building where the monitoring system will be installed.
Cover photo: Diario Libre.
