So, Brand New Road, Rio S.J. to Nagua?!

Left on Red

New member
Mar 10, 2012
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Wow, really? It's true? New roads all the way, Rio to the dollar store?!!

I left a week too soon. Would love to ride my ****ty little rental car along a nice, smooth road, instead of my usual death-defying-crater-avoidance tactics.

Can't wait to see it! (First Meyer lemons at Super Polo, now new roads! How much more an we take)?!

(Try and) drive slowly anyway this week, bubs....

(We should encourage el Presidente to visit more often).
 

Salsafan

Bronze
Aug 17, 2011
924
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38
Why do the roads in the DR deteriorate so fast ? Or do they just not get renewed often enough ?
 

Bob Boyd

Active member
Feb 3, 2004
272
27
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They use water soluble asphalt so that they can pave the road again for the next election.
 

Ecoman1949

Born to Ride.
Oct 17, 2015
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They use water soluble asphalt so that they can pave the road again for the next election.

Got a chuckle out of that one! I suspect it's a combination of poor base roadbed preparation, laying new pavement on top of old pavement without proper stripping and infilling, improper road and curb gradients that cause water pooling or curb deterioration when heavy rains occur, and the ratio of asphalt to stone in the final pavement mix.
 

Ecoman1949

Born to Ride.
Oct 17, 2015
2,806
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There is a grain of truth in Bob Boyd's comment. Years ago where I live, the pavement crews showed up and paved the roads to the smaller communities prior to every election. It guaranteed the incumbent would get another term in office. Danilo is probably using the same tactic.
 

CristoRey

Welcome To Wonderland
Apr 1, 2014
11,713
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Its election time BABY! All of the roads in the center of town here where I live are being repaved with asphalt. They are fixing all of
the streets lights too. I love it!
 

MarcJ1492

New member
Mar 16, 2016
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About time. I'm also tired of all this bumpy roads. I wish we had elections at end of each year.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
It's probably more likely a combination of extreme weather and late repairs. In summer highways in Europe get damaged often too but fixed right away.
 

Ecoman1949

Born to Ride.
Oct 17, 2015
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It's probably more likely a combination of extreme weather and late repairs. In summer highways in Europe get damaged often too but fixed right away.

Periods of extreme heat can accelerate road deterioration. Heavy trucks rolling on hot pavement, especially overloaded ones, can create pressure ridges in the road. Very noticeable when the rain collects in the gullies created by the trucks. Usually the width of the axles. Hydro planing can occur in these areas. The DR has been through a prolonged drought that may be part of the cause. I'm guessing the policia don't check the weight of the trucks. I haven't seen any weigh scale stations in the area I stay in.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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i think it's a bit of everything. weather, substandard road surface, overloaded trucks, landslides, bad repair jobs and probably more. in some places it's just faulty construction that cannot be fixed with few patches of asphalt. for example there are few spots of the road to navarrete with some underground water issues. no matter how many times the road gets fixed it breaks again. they should tear it off and either put a proper drainage or do an elevado.
 

Ecoman1949

Born to Ride.
Oct 17, 2015
2,806
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i think it's a bit of everything. weather, substandard road surface, overloaded trucks, landslides, bad repair jobs and probably more. in some places it's just faulty construction that cannot be fixed with few patches of asphalt. for example there are few spots of the road to navarrete with some underground water issues. no matter how many times the road gets fixed it breaks again. they should tear it off and either put a proper drainage or do an elevado.

Your right. Add to that a small land mass, the DR, with a large population, millions, using the roads constantly and it's no wonder the roads take a beating. I've noticed that the dirt roads in the countryside usually wash out after a period of heavy rain. Theyget graded again, eventually, but get worse with the next rainfall. The good class A crushed stone on the top of the road winds up along the edge of the road and in the ditches or plugging up culverts which increases the flood damage when the next rainy period hits.