SANTO DOMINGO. - The Senate yesterday approved a US$48.7 million loan for the Duarte Corridor road works, a contract negotiated with Brazil’s State-owned BNDES bank.

With the loan the Public Works Ministry will pay the contractor Norberto Odebrecht to build overpasses on the intersections of the avenues Monumental, Núñez de Cáceres, Defilló and Manoguayabo with the Kennedy highway, and on the Ortega y Gasset with 27 de Febrero and the San Isidro highway with Charles de Gaulle.

The contract stipulates 21 months to use the funds, which will pay 100% of the materials and equipment for the project, counted from the date the contract took effect, and lasts 60 months, states president Leonel Fernandez’s letter to the senators.

Constanza-Casabito

The Senate also approved a US$20 million loan to rebuild the 51 kilometer road between Constanza and the Duarte highway, begun in 2007.