Puerto Plata’s international airport is closed for the next week or so. While the news to repave the runways at the Gregorio Luperon International Airport in Puerto Plata is not necessarily good news for travelers in the region, yet the timing is right. The reason? The bridge on the highway between Montellano and the airport, well over 60 years old, was damaged by a truck and is structurally out of service for some time.
According to the administrators of the airport, Aerodom, the main landing strip will be completely remodeled over the coming week to 10 days. Historically, the two weeks following Easter are the times of lowest passenger volume, and therefore the closure will inconvenience the fewest number of persons.
At the same time, the Ministry of Public Works is working on a detour, which will be most appreciated by all of the people that use the highway on a regular basis. Currently, there are just two ways to get to Sosua, and Gaspar Hernandez from Puerto Plata. One is to go to Santiago, then Moca and cross over the northern mountain range at Jamao, coming off the mountains between Cabarete and Gaspar Hernandez. The other is to go to the damaged bridge, and walk across, and then get a ride in some sort of taxi or minibus.
So, while Aerodom spends about a quarter-of-a-billion pesos on the new runway, the Ministry of Public Works is building a light-duty detour in back of the town of Montellano in the sector called “Los Perez” in an attempt to re-establish some semblance of traffic flow in the area.
According to sources at the Ministry of Public Works, a new bridge will be constructed at the site of the old structure that dated from the Trujillo era and had outlived its capacity to carry the very heavy traffic that now used it.
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
Listin Diario
3 May 2022