SANTO DOMINGO- The new toll plaza being built at kilometer 32 of the Duarte highway, part of the Executive Road Solution Project launched two years ago by the government, will have more than 20 lanes that will help speed up traffic on the road used daily by a large part of the Dominican population.
The Deputy Minister of Supervision and Planning of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC), Roberto Herrera, reported that the new tollbooth will be ready and outside the community of Pedro Brand by April of this year.
He emphasized that the project is being built to the highest standards in modern engineering, and that it will have more than 20 lanes that will help to expedite traffic on this important road.
He stated that the cost of the new toll is within the budget for the Duarte Highway renovation, which exceeds 15 billion pesos. At the project's inauguration, the Minister of Public Works, Deligne Ascención, reported that the estimated budget for the project was over RD$900 million and that the projected completion time would be 10 months.
Herrera said that the tollbooth project has already begun construction, and that it is currently in the earthmoving phase, but that the company in charge of these works guaranteed that they will be completed in no less than 10 days.
“They will hand over those lands so that the contracting company can begin installing the toll booths, which are important for the smooth flow of traffic on this important road,” he explained.
Meanwhile, José Manuel Hernández, president of the company Ingeniería Metálica, which is in charge of manufacturing the metal structures for the construction of the toll station at kilometer 32 of the Duarte highway, announced that they will be assembled in 45 days.
He said that in 10 days they will begin the process of assembling those structures, and that it consists of two roofs, "one lower than the other, but with the greatest safety that this work requires.".
The project
The Duarte Highway was inaugurated in May 1922. Studies on traffic in Santo Domingo in 2022 showed that 103,000 vehicles travel daily along kilometer 9 of the Duarte Highway. It connects 60% of the country's total population, residing in the National District, Santo Domingo Oeste, Los Alcarrizos, Pantoja, Los Girasoles, Los Peralejos, and the most active and productive provinces located in the Cibao, Northwest Line, and Northeast regions.
