From early last friday to late last sunday , I drove from Zona Colonial to Punta Cana and Bavaro along las Americas and then on the main autopistas and after playing some golf ,I went to Miches and then Sabana de la mar, where I stayed at night returning along the same route. Apart from las Americas to el peaje at the airport, and some work in progress just past the airport , all construction was done by Odebrecht . The tolls were 60 pesos near the airport, 100 pesos near la Romana, 60 pesos near Higuey and finally 100 pesos closer to Punta Cana.
What a wonderfully easy driving experience along roads in near perfect condition that must be the envy of all countries in our region. The two enormous spans across the gorge of the Rio Chavon are superb ,especially remembering the previous bridge that claimed the lives of more than 100 people over the previous decade. I think people have forgotten the tortuous trip from San Pedro via la Romana , Higuey and Otra Banda to Punta Cana or Bavaro along a very narrow road that took three to four hours hours and now takes about just over one hour . The constant danger from big buses and trucks has been replaced by safe roads.
Previously it was a very rough road from Bavaro to Miches but now it is paradise all the way to Sabana which is a most charming town. There has been a huge increase in the number of tourist buses using all these roads as well as more cars but now it is easy driving whereas before ,with many less vehicles, it was a nightmare .
There are many here who may not know all the dramas of trying to get the Coral Highway built from La Romana to Bavaro and it took a natural disaster in the form of major flooding for the Government to be able to use a law to change contractor to get things moving.. the Bavaro and Punta Cana hotels had made large contributions to get the Highway built but nothing was happening. About two or three years ago I wrote about seeing more than 100 large construction machines on the way from Bavaro to Sabana ..I do not know where they have now gone.. I suppose to now half finished projects in the north .
It seems that most readers and contributors here are from the capital and the north and are wondering about the amazing continuous growth of the eastern region. To no small part we can thank the DR Government and also the construction company Odebrecht ..they have transformed the entire region . All cost a lot more money than the DR had at the time and it took much persuasion to get the Government to borrow large amounts of money and to appoint Odebrecht to bring in huge amounts of equipment and staff. But it has paid off already many many times over .
I read about some agent and some officials receiving $92 million to facilitate these great infrastructure improvements and now I read about people wanting Odebrecht banned. I know none of these people , but if only took $92 million to transform this country, then I would not be too worried about dancing girls or payoffs, but would be thanking God for some great decision making and some magnificent civil construction work .
What a wonderfully easy driving experience along roads in near perfect condition that must be the envy of all countries in our region. The two enormous spans across the gorge of the Rio Chavon are superb ,especially remembering the previous bridge that claimed the lives of more than 100 people over the previous decade. I think people have forgotten the tortuous trip from San Pedro via la Romana , Higuey and Otra Banda to Punta Cana or Bavaro along a very narrow road that took three to four hours hours and now takes about just over one hour . The constant danger from big buses and trucks has been replaced by safe roads.
Previously it was a very rough road from Bavaro to Miches but now it is paradise all the way to Sabana which is a most charming town. There has been a huge increase in the number of tourist buses using all these roads as well as more cars but now it is easy driving whereas before ,with many less vehicles, it was a nightmare .
There are many here who may not know all the dramas of trying to get the Coral Highway built from La Romana to Bavaro and it took a natural disaster in the form of major flooding for the Government to be able to use a law to change contractor to get things moving.. the Bavaro and Punta Cana hotels had made large contributions to get the Highway built but nothing was happening. About two or three years ago I wrote about seeing more than 100 large construction machines on the way from Bavaro to Sabana ..I do not know where they have now gone.. I suppose to now half finished projects in the north .
It seems that most readers and contributors here are from the capital and the north and are wondering about the amazing continuous growth of the eastern region. To no small part we can thank the DR Government and also the construction company Odebrecht ..they have transformed the entire region . All cost a lot more money than the DR had at the time and it took much persuasion to get the Government to borrow large amounts of money and to appoint Odebrecht to bring in huge amounts of equipment and staff. But it has paid off already many many times over .
I read about some agent and some officials receiving $92 million to facilitate these great infrastructure improvements and now I read about people wanting Odebrecht banned. I know none of these people , but if only took $92 million to transform this country, then I would not be too worried about dancing girls or payoffs, but would be thanking God for some great decision making and some magnificent civil construction work .