The Ministry of Public Works has confirmed that it is giving priority to the solution of traffic bottlenecks in Santo Domingo. At present city residents are suffering through major construction that seems to be underway at all points of the city. The works are to prepare the city to handle double the traffic by year 2005. The Ministry estimates that today around 500,000 vehicles circulate in Santo Domingo. The Ministry explained the main elements of the plan are as follows: Construction of overpasses at 27 de Febrero with Máximo Gómez, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, in addition to the tunnels at present under construction at those intersections. Construction of a boulevard with trees on top of the underpasses leading to the tunnels of Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln. The boulevard will be 18 meters wide by 600 meters long. At Winston Churchill avenue, two overpasses in the north-south and east-west directions will be built so that traffic and flow constantly through the intersection. Deputy Minister of Public Works Claudia Francheska de los Santos explained that the overpasses that will be built at the intersection of John F. Kennedy and Winston Churchill will be three lanes, one constructed at a height of 10 meters, another five meters high and another at the ground level of the highway. One of the overpasses will start near the entrance of the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña ending near Av. Charles Sumner. Another will start at the Av. Charles Sumner and end near the Font Gamundi building on the John F. Kennedy. The Ministry spokeswoman explained that the John F. Kennedy Avenue handles more traffic than the 27 de Febrero Avenue. Also contemplated is the elimination of the rotunda of John F. Kennedy avenue with Máximo Gómez in addition to the tunnel, and overpasses at the intersections of JFK with Tiradentes, Ortega y Gasset and Abraham Lincoln. In addition, intelligent traffic lights will be installed, and the avenues will be expanded. The government also plans to build overpasses that will connect Avenida Luperón to the 30 de Mayo and Independencia avenues on the southern side of the city to eliminate the bottlenecks there, especially at the intersection of Km. 12. This is in addition to the expansion of the Autopista 30 de Mayo (the western side of the Malecón) through Km. 12. Plans call for the completion of the expansion of the Las Americas Highway to 10 lanes, and an overpass from Av. Venezuela to 25 de Febrero, as well as the construction of a bridge parallel to the old Duarte Bridge that will be rehabilitated.
