The new infrastructure aims to reduce traffic disruptions caused by passing vessels from hours to approximately 15 minutes. The project was awarded for RD$4.571 billion and will have a 24-month execution period
SANTO DOMINGO.- The floating bridge over the Ozama River, installed between 1998 and 1999 as a temporary solution to connect the National District with Santo Domingo East, will be replaced by a bascule structure that will allow the passage of boats without stopping vehicular traffic for hours.
The new structure will be located approximately 80 meters south of the current bridge and will link Francisco Alberto Caamaño Deñó Avenue, formerly known as Port Avenue, with the Malecón of Villa Duarte, in Santo Domingo East.
The Minister of Public Works, Eduardo Estrella, revealed the details during his appearance on the program "La Semanal con la Prensa." The planned work includes the design, construction, assembly, and commissioning of the structure, as well as the installation of mechanical, electrical, and electronic systems, lighting, signage, and protective devices against vessels.
Three companies make up the consortium
The project was awarded to the Río Ozama Construction Consortium, made up of Antillean Construction Corporation, Tradeco Infraestructura and Pontix Ingeniería y Construcción, for an amount of RD$4,571,074,834.28 and an execution period of 24 months.
Antillean Construction Corporation is a Dominican company that began operations in 2002 under the name Antillean Petroleum Corporation. In 2014, it adopted its current name and began developing road, water, and energy infrastructure projects, as well as buildings and urban developments.
Tradeco Infraestructura, for its part, belongs to the Tradeco Group, a Mexican firm founded in 1992 that operates in Mexico and other countries in the Americas. Its expertise includes the construction of highways, viaducts, hospitals, tunnels, and other engineering projects.
Meanwhile, Pontix Ingeniería y Construcción, based in Mexico, specializes in the design and development of bridges and structures. Its portfolio includes cable-stayed bridges, steel and concrete structures, rehabilitations, and infrastructure projects in various Latin American countries.
The selection occurred after the consortium submitted the only technical and economic proposal in the international public tender called by the Ministry of Public Works and Communications.
During the experts' review, the offered amount was adjusted from RD$4,570,747,724.95 to RD$4,571,074,834.28. Furthermore, the group achieved 90 points, distributed as 50 for the technical proposal and 40 for the economic one.
The floating bridge was installed between 1998 and 1999
The current structure began operating between 1998 and 1999, during Leonel Fernández's first term, as a temporary alternative to facilitate travel between the National District and Santo Domingo East.
Its installation responded to the need to improve traffic flow amidst urban expansion and infrastructure projects being carried out in the capital, including the construction of the Juan Bosch bridge.
The crossing, made up of metal barges with an asphalt surface, continues in service almost three decades after its installation.
However, to allow navigation on the Ozama River, it is necessary to open the connection, a maneuver that causes road interruptions that can last between two and three hours, according to information released about the project.
To overcome this limitation, the future structure will have movable arms that will rise when necessary to facilitate river traffic, without requiring the removal or reorganization of a floating platform.
New mechanism seeks to shorten road disruptions
One of the main purposes of the project is to expedite travel between the National District and Santo Domingo East, two districts linked by a road that supports a high volume of daily trips.
According to estimates previously provided by the Ministry of Public Works, the mechanism will reduce the traffic interruption time to about 15 minutes when it is necessary to enable the passage of vessels.
To achieve this, the structure will have two movable arms and a mechanical system responsible for raising the section of the deck that allows navigation. Furthermore, the design must guarantee the passage of vessels of different sizes, including boats, yachts, tugboats, ships, and generator barges.
In this way, the initiative seeks to improve land mobility and, simultaneously, preserve navigation on the Ozama and Isabela rivers, without making both activities dependent on the operation of a temporary solution.
What does the new bridge represent for the residents?
Replacing the floating walkway with a tilting structure could improve the daily commutes of those who live in the National District and Santo Domingo East, especially for people who use this connection to get to work, schools, shops and other services.
In this context, one of the most significant changes would be the reduction of wait times when vessels need to cross the Ozama River. While openings in the current system can paralyze traffic for two or three hours, the new mechanism aims to limit these pauses to about 15 minutes.
If this reduction is achieved, drivers could experience fewer delays on their journeys. Similarly, shorter wait times would make it easier to plan trips and help alleviate some of the congestion that occurs on nearby streets when traffic is suspended.
In addition, a link equipped with a mechanical opening mechanism could offer greater predictability to motorists, public transport operators and merchants who depend on the connection between the two areas.
However, the results will depend on the infrastructure's performance, the organization of traffic at its access points, and its capacity to meet the area's vehicular demand. At the same time, the design must ensure the coexistence of land transport and navigation on the Ozama River.
An investment to connect the National District with Santo Domingo East
The construction of the bascule viaduct is a significant intervention for the mobility of Greater Santo Domingo, as it will allow the replacement of a link that for years has served as an alternative to cross the Ozama River.
The budget, exceeding RD$4,571 million, includes not only the main structure, but also engineering work, foundation, assembly, lifting mechanisms, electrical installations, maritime protection and environmental conditioning.
The technical specifications include steel piles that will reach depths of up to 64 meters, as well as marine defenses designed to protect the structure from possible impacts from vessels.
Furthermore, the design features include a lifespan exceeding 100 years, according to data released about the initiative.
Authorities established a 24-month execution period. However, the Minister of Public Works, Eduardo Estrella, expressed his intention to shorten that timeline to expedite the delivery.
The contract also includes the tests required to enable the operation of the crossing and a maintenance period of 36 months.
With this intervention, the Government seeks to replace a temporary solution installed in the late 1990s with a permanent connection that facilitates vehicular traffic and maintains navigation on the Ozama River.
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