The Ministry of Public Works has announced that Duarte Bridge will be closed to all traffic this Sunday. Works are being carried out on the bridge linking eastern and western Santo Domingo, which is seriously deteriorated. Other options for motorists include the Juan Bosch bridge, which is best for east-west traffic, but which only has one lane for traffic going eastwards. Alternatively, there is the so-called pontoon bridge for travel via the Avenida del Puerto, and the Francisco del Rosario Sanchez bridge further to the north.
El Caribe newspaper reports that technicians from Williamsport Wirerope Works and NXL are visiting to evaluate the 29 kms of cable that was purchased in 1997 for the bridge’s repair but abandoned under the bridge when works were discontinued. The cables cost taxpayers then US$4.6 million.