SANTO DOMINGO- The overpass at the intersection of 27 de Febrero Avenue and Máximo Gómez Avenue, whose collapse on Saturday afternoon, November 18, caused the death of nine people, had already suffered a similar failure to the one that occurred in 2000, according to a preliminary diagnosis by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC).
"At that time, the competent authorities intervened, and we assume that the necessary engineering solutions were applied to prevent something similar from happening again. However, it has happened today, with a different outcome than back then," the institution stated in a press release.
Public Works regretted the victims caused by this incident and reported that they will carry out a thorough investigation that should definitively determine the causes of the indecent act.
"We are facing a very regrettable event, so we expect that explanations will be issued, which, although they may not be able to undo the irreparable damage that has already been done, should establish the errors in design, construction or structural omissions that could be the causes of such a regrettable event," he pointed out.
According to the diagnosis, the collapse of the northwest wall was caused by a set of factors, including the accumulation of heavy rains throughout the National District, which, in the first 20 hours, was about 434 millimeters per square meter.
"A significant portion of the rainwater infiltrated into a saturated subsoil with very high hydraulic conductivity, abruptly increasing pore pressures in the subsoil," he stated.
Observations indicate that a large amount of water came out through the holes on the north side, generating a large surface flow from north to south.
These pressures generated strong thrusts on the approximately 30-centimeter-thick concrete face to the northwest of the overpass. This face, not being anchored to the adjacent limestone rock nor braced transversely to the front wall, failed, and its immense weight completely trapped several cars that happened to be traveling east-west, resulting in multiple fatalities.
Road closures
The MOPC, through the Directorate of Maintenance of Trunk Roads, proceeded to close to vehicular traffic a two-kilometer section on the Northeast Highway, due to the rise of the Yuna River.
The director of Main Road Maintenance, César Ramírez, said that the closure in the Bajo Yuna area includes from kilometer 89 to 91, according to a press release.
He also explained that the area at kilometer 17, at the confluence of the Yabacao River and the Marucho and Caño Nuevo streams, is under observation.
The section of the Barahona-Enriquillo highway near the community of San Rafael was also closed to traffic due to landslides caused by heavy rains in the area.
Brigades are being reinforced with more than 500 men for cleaning and debris removal work on roads
The Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) reported that it sent brigades of more than 300 men to the streets of Greater Santo Domingo and other places in the national territory, who will be assigned to cleaning and debris removal work left by the heavy rains on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Military and Police Commission (Comipol) will deploy 200 soldiers, in addition to those who are on daily duty on the country's roads.
Civil brigades, made up of personnel from the Directorate of Road Maintenance and other departments of the MOPC, joined in this Sunday to carry out the cleaning work.
The Minister of Public Works, Deligne Ascención, praised those public servants for accepting the call to report and carry out work for the benefit of the population.
“We need our roads, especially in Greater Santo Domingo, to be able to carry out the work that you have always done and that the country, the government, and Public Works recognize,” he said.
Meanwhile, the director of the Military and Police Commission (Comipol), General Rafael Vásquez Espínola, led the deployment of 200 soldiers, in addition to the 1,150 who are on daily duty on the country's roads.
“We reinforced critical points on the country’s main roads after the heavy rains,” he said.
Vásquez Espínola said that the deployed units are assisting citizens in the sections where traffic was closed, such as on the Northeast Highway (Lower Yuna area) and San Rafael, municipality of Enriquillo.
They proceed to demolish the affected area
Meanwhile, the Public Works authorities proceeded to demolish the affected part of the wall of the underpass on 27 de Febrero Avenue and guarded the closed section, placing vehicles and backhoes to prevent passage.
After demolishing the boards, the brigade members put up retaining walls to ensure the safety of drivers when the east-west direction avenue is reopened.
For the time being, traffic is suspended in that direction, as well as in the tunnel in both directions from the intersection of Ortega y Gasset to Máximo Gómez.
Traffic in the West-East direction of the avenue is permitted.
