The road around the city of Baní has been controversial since the start. When the bypass was first announced, there were demands from nearly every sector. Farmers wanted the roadway to go north, around the city. Yet some interested parties pushed for the road to go south, where it would be closer to the area’s beaches.
Eventually, last November 2021, construction began on the 20-kilometer project. Now the complaint is that it is too small, just two lanes, according to the Listin Diario. Most other bypasses are four-lane highways.
People from small villages such as Paya and Villa Sombrero complain that the chosen route would make them further from Baní, the natural and closest market for their farm produce.
Another worry is that the lack of proper intersections could well spur the creation of improvised “on-ramps” created by locals who remove some of the protective barriers along the highway.
While most architects agree that the two-lane road will certainly suffice for now, they also advise a need to protect a broader right-of-way for the future.
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Listin Diario
7 March 2022