Close Gallery
A mudslide on the Sabana de la Mar-Hato Mayor road. Photo elnuevodiario.com.do
Zoom Picture

SANTO DOMINGO. – Hundreds of motorists who headed from Santo Domingo to Samaná yesterday were turned back by the tolls’ guards, who said the Yabacao river washed out a section of the new highway, at Monte Plata province, after Tropical Storm Fay dumped heavy rains in that part of the country.

The military allowed traffic only as far as the village Naranjo, as flooding in the zone affected about 16 kilometers of the road. Only moto-taxis were allowed on the highway and some vehicles were seen returning from Samaná to Santo Domingo.

Meanwhile traffic is snarled in Sabana de la Mar as recent rains caused landslides and crevices along a 200 meter section of the highway linking it with Hato Mayor province, whose governor Jose Alberto Vásquez called on Public Works to restore transit between El Valle, Miches and Sabana de la Mar.

The Sabana de la Mar-Hato Mayor highway was under reconstruction, but  the work was abandoned soon after president Leonel Fernandez won reelection.

SOURCE: listin.com.do

Share / Recommend this article: Digg thisDigg this del.icio.usdel.icio.us TechnoratiTechnorati YahooYahoo
COMMENTS
12 comment(s)
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: GhouliiishColon This user is banned, 18 Aug 2008 9:39 AM
From: United States
Herr Doktor Johann .. now this is what I call Highway Engineering .. won't you agree? Jawohl Herr Doktor Johann?
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: gouletcolonial, 18 Aug 2008 9:59 AM
From: United States Virgin Islands, St Thomas Mahogany Run
It is brand new ....did they think it would never rain
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: GhouliiishColon This user is banned, 18 Aug 2008 10:05 AM
From: United States
Herr Doktor Johann .. a DAM just collapsed in the Grand Canyon .. it's all over Reuters, AP.. bad things happen dude .. it's nature .. it rained a lot .. and we had structural failure .. I mean people die .. so why not highways? Jawohl Herr Doktor Johann?
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: gouletcolonial, 18 Aug 2008 10:15 AM
From: United States Virgin Islands, St Thomas Mahogany Run
was the dam just built ? i doubt it
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: GhouliiishColon This user is banned, 18 Aug 2008 10:21 AM
From: United States
Herr Doktor Johann .. I am not sure .. will check it out .. engineering structures are designed within an "envelope of probability" .. a tradeoff between cost and safety .. Jawohl Herr Doktor Johann?
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: GhouliiishColon This user is banned, 18 Aug 2008 11:18 AM
From: United States
Herr Doktor Johann .. I think it's a little early to get all the details.. seems like an unexpected "rain event" .. producing an intensity of runoff and erosion beyond the "envelope of probability" .. here's the link ..

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/08/18/grand.canyon/

No engineering structure is ever designed to withstand hazards of BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS. It would cost too much. With your expertise in hydraulic structures, geology, hydrology and earth movements, I am sure you could deduce exactly how it all happened. The USGS awaits your report. Jawohl Herr Doktor Johann?
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: BLANCO, 18 Aug 2008 12:56 PM
From: Dominican Republic
tHIS HIGHWAY IS BRAND NEW... HAS BEEN OPEN ONLY FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS
a concession to some foreign company,, i say shoddy workmanship, but somehow the concessionaire will get the gov't to pay for it...god more BS!!!!
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: GhouliiishColon This user is banned, 18 Aug 2008 1:55 PM
From: United States
Maybe we should wait until all the MUD settles. Then we collect data .. investigate .. find out who is responsible .. NATURE or MAN .. apportion the blame .. shoot the damned contractor in the head .. and all will be TRANQUILO again. Until the next BIG DISASTER.
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: gaddis, 18 Aug 2008 2:46 PM
From: Dominican Republic
The biggest part of the Dominican Republic is a gravel, sand and clay soil composition. It is almost impossible to find hardrock foundation footings for anything, much less bridges. Locals also will damage or destroy drainage canals by building over them and diverting the water to dangerous areas.

In short, here highway construction is not a science.

For example, the puerto plata-santiago touristic highway has has dozens of landslides (derrumbas) and almost all are the result of drainage canals being covered or blocked and runoff from heavy rains over-running the highway.

drive 60 kmph and be carelfull...



Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: GhouliiishColon This user is banned, 18 Aug 2008 3:03 PM
From: United States
Excellent point .. please forgive us .. most of the people posting here are not very familiar with the art and science of road construction .. in fact I doubt if most of them could even tie their shoe laces if their lives depended on it.
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: gouletcolonial, 19 Aug 2008 7:01 AM
From: United States Virgin Islands, St Thomas Mahogany Run
sang what a horrible thing to say about your associates
Report as spam/innapropiate
Written by: gmiller261, 19 Aug 2008 10:49 AM
From: United States
face it.

Everything in the DR has corruption and incompetence built in.

Mother nature just showed them how big a water shed they should have built.

And NO do not steal the concrete that should have gone there. It's like dealing with 10 year olds.
Post Your Comment | Not a member? Create your account | Lost your password?
Write your opinion here. Please keep your comment relevant to this article. Please note that any comments which contain offensive language or discriminatory expressions may be edited/removed.
You must log in to post a comment:
Username Password