President Danilo Medina handed over the Navarrete-Puerto Plata road, which was reconstructed and extended. The road had been a commitment made by the Medina administration when Carnival Cruises and Dominican investors proposed the construction of what would be Amber Cove in Maimón. Amber Cove is the country’s largest cruise ship facility. It is located off the same main access road to Puerto Plata provinces with its city and beach attractions.
Nevertheless, Amber Cove opened in 2015 with only a small stretch of the road closest to the port completed with the duplication of the roadway with four lanes of 3.65 meters each, and 2.40-meter sidewalks. Amber Cove is now closed due to the suspension of cruise ship travel around the worl.
In the last months, the Medina administration repaved the entire Puerto Plata-Navarrette highway (46.8 km). With a maximum road speed of 80 km/hour, driving time to Puerto Plata from Navarrete is now 35 minutes.
Public Works Minister Ramon Pepin said: “This highway will impact Puerto Plata, but all the region. It will also have a positive impact on the productive and touristic sectors.” He stressed the improvements in safety for transporting farm and agro-industrial produce to be exported through the Puerto Plata port.
During the same inauguration, the Presidency also officially handed over five road improvements that benefit the northwestern province of Montecristi. These are: Palo Verde-Castañuelas (8km), Villa Vásquez-Castañuelas-Cruce Las Matas de Santa Cruz (10.6 km), Guayubín-Juan Gómez-Villa Sinda (7.9 km), Guayubín-Cruce La Solitaria (6.9 km), El Pocito-Castañuelas (10.8 km).
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Presidency
23 July 2020