Santo Domingo.- The Inter-American Development Bank will support a toll highway project that will reduce the travel time between the Dominican capital Santo Domingo and Samaná peninsula (northeast), an area with great tourist potential, news source thegovmonitor.com reports.
It said the IDB will lend up to $44.8 million without a sovereign guarantee to the Boulevard Turístico del Atlántico project, which will also have joint support from other bilateral and multilateral institutions. Total financing will reach some $149 million.
The project includes the concession for a 123-kilometer toll road with two components: rehabilitation of 99 kilometers of existing highway that connects Nagua, Sánchez, Samaná, El Limón and Las Terrenas, and construction of a new 24-kilometer segment that will connect Las Terrenas and Majagual on the Samaná peninsula.
“Overseeing this initiative, whose total estimated cost is $178 million, will be a consortium comprising Colombian construction firms Odinsa and Grodco, and highway concession holders Consorcio Remix of the Dominican Republic, the Web site said. “This project will have a significant impact, because in addition to the improvements achieved by the Autopistas del Nordeste concession, the travel time between Santo Domingo and Samaná will be cut from five hours to less than two hours,” said IDB team leader Víctor Salgado.
“Development of highway infrastructure will make it easier for local residents, manufacturers, merchants and tourists to move between the peninsula and the southern part of the country, helping the economy grow in a region that is a priority for the Dominican government,” Salgado added.
It said the transaction is the first loan without a sovereign guarantee that the IDB has approved for a highway project in the Dominican Republic.
Written by: telemeco, 9 Sep 2009 8:11 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Monte Plata
I grew up in Majagual, when i was a child there was only a dirt road there and use to go into the town of Guaraguao and crossed the Yuna river into town to buy supply. Now with the building of this road there is great accept to the capital and samana, but here is the problems. Local cant pay almost 500 peso to cross into Guaraguao, what use to be a national road local cant cross without paying for the toll....Why is that a national dirt road or whatever you want called it, is takin over by a corporation a toll the local that need to get to town to buy supply for basic survival, Majagual is pretty isolated in the mountain there is no other town around. the corporation took over and even put metal blocking being in the old road therefore no one dare to cross and force to pay the toll.
From: United States
Its the Dominican way!
Written by: Juango, 9 Sep 2009 8:40 AM
From: United States, far S. Florida (formerly Santo Domingo)
tele,,,,The poor folks "DO NOT" contribute anything toward the pockets to the ruling elite, therefore why should they even be considered? After all the po' flok can move to "la capi" and ride the Metro for $20 P and buy their goods that way. (just a bit of sarcastic hunor). It is sad how the DR is run. In another article, Felucho is commenting on corruption in this administration. That SOB should be in jail, but No Way!! he has Money ! Amazing, dont you agree ?
From: United States, Brooklyn
Opportunities will be created by this road... Which i thought had already been built... and their income will rise and then they'll be able to travel back and forth
Written by: Sajomero, 9 Sep 2009 9:18 AM
From: United States, Del primer Santiago de America....y el mejor!!!
Actually Carlos Majagual is very isolated wedged between the road and Los Haitises. They used to cultivate the valleys between the mogotes but its no longer allowed. Its sad to see these people continue without any realistic chance for improvement since balaguer expelled them from the park in 92'. I have family that migrated there in the early 80's lured by the promise of very fertile lands, which really wasn't true. Although most people have left the area for the states or other cities, there are still those that need to survive under very precarious conditions. The gov' hasn't done anything at all for these small towns sorrounding the park.
From: Dominican Republic
I am glad they are going to continue with this project but I must say that reading telemeco's comment the Dominican government has the obligation to subsidize those who cannot afford it! As long as it is done in an orderly manner and those getting it are those who really need it I am 100% for it.
Written by: dominica, 9 Sep 2009 11:43 AM
From: United States
The dichotomy of capitalism. One of progress and regress. I think Shopenhauer makes the case that it depends on how you look at it. On one end those that are on side A will see it their way, and those who are on side B the other way. The most difficult thought process being how to bring those 2 sides within unison... How to accomodate both? and can it be done?
From: United States, NY/NJ
Once again digging in the same pot, the IDB is in league with the IMF and World Bank so any and all money lent for projects will benefit foreign corporations and some of the ruling elite class in DR. Selling the countries infrastructure little by little to the people who are going to in-debt us for all we are worth. No sovereign guarantee eh? That just means they will seize the asset if we default on the payment, o and lets not mention a new influx of foreign skilled workers doing the work that our Dominican citizens could be doing and earning a good amount of money in the process. But with these outsider financing deals those are usually the conditions some foreigner companies of their choosing get to do all the good work and receive all the money while the Dominican citizen gets robbed blind and won't understand it, they'll just see a nice new highway and be very happy with the visual results. Que Dios nos ayude a todos.
From: Dominican Republic
That dominica is very hard to do but not impossible and an option is subsidizing which also is a burdon to our country.
Written by: Escott, 9 Sep 2009 12:46 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera and Sosua a 2 days a month for payday
I am confused, this isn't the road from just below the airport to just above nagua?
Written by: telemeco, 9 Sep 2009 1:02 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Monte Plata
Escott,,
There several development going on around the Haitise and Samana, this is the new road leading from Santo Domingo to Samana via the old Nagua-Samana Highway.. Campesino have to pay arounf 500 peso round trip to get into that part of Nagua, where at before use to be free, to cross into those area, and local goberment more likely than not, are not getting a peso out those toll to help with local development and implementing jobs, they just want to keep as much as tourist friendly as possible and forget the native. sound like colon came back again.
From: United States
Give the poor an EZPass !!!!
Written by: dominica, 9 Sep 2009 1:48 PM
From: United States
The way things work are simple and clear cut. The people (the masses, the poor, or whatever you want to call them) have limited resources which includes limited political capital. The more well off (mainly those who are going to be part of this project) have tons of political capital. Usually in a government there needs to be things done, just like running a biz, that will allow that government to prosper. In this case it is building up areas that will further contribute to the 4 billion + in revenue from tourism. Now the problem is that money gets things done and this is something that the people don't have. Therefore, the only 1's who will look after the poor's interests are themselves. Sometimes the poor does get political capital, as in the case of Evo Morales and Hugo Chavez, but this doesnt work as well in most places. In DR the poor have very limited PC. Therefore the only thing that they have left is mobilization of the people which is sometimes as effective: PROTEST.
From: United States
What the poor have to do is get on a 'yola' and leave...or sell drugs.
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Opportunities will be created by this road... Which i thought had already been built... and their income will rise and then they'll be able to travel back and forth
There several development going on around the Haitise and Samana, this is the new road leading from Santo Domingo to Samana via the old Nagua-Samana Highway.. Campesino have to pay arounf 500 peso round trip to get into that part of Nagua, where at before use to be free, to cross into those area, and local goberment more likely than not, are not getting a peso out those toll to help with local development and implementing jobs, they just want to keep as much as tourist friendly as possible and forget the native. sound like colon came back again.