The Ministry of Public Works estimates it will take eight to 10 days to repair the El Cangrejo bridge in Puerto Plata. The Ministry says the repair schedule includes working in three consecutive shifts, or 24/7, to restore vehicular traffic as soon as possible. An alternate route through Los Perez has been adapted for the circulation of heavy vehicles and to connect Montellano and Sosua. The alternate road of 2.5 kilometers begins about 200 meters from the bridge.
The Cangrejo bridge connects Puerto Plata with Montellano, the Gregorio Luperón Puerto Plata International Airport and Sosúa, among other communities on the north coast. The airport operator announced it would close to international traffic to carry out major maintenance works on the runway.
The bridge failed last week after one of its support beams broke, allowing the breakage of a column. The bridge then was shut down for vehicular traffic.
Minister Deligne Ascención says funds have been set aside to build a new bridge.
In an interview with Listin Diario, Minister Ascención said that the Ministry is working so that a similar breakdown does not occur elsewhere. As part of a nationwide study, about 407 bridges have been surveyed to date of around 1,000 bridges in the country. Of these, 335 are in the process of being surveyed and 28 will get funds for major repairs.
Ascención indicated that so far some 37 bridges have been identified as needing deep interventions and replacements and at least 42 are in a critical state.
The Juan Bosch Bridge, the Francisco del Rosario Sánchez Bridge, the Francisco J. Peynado Bridge and others in Greater Santo Domingo are among those that need to be intervened. He also said that the design is being finalized to replace the floating bridge in the capital city with a more modern one, which will open mechanically. Ascención said a Miami-type bridge is contemplated. Construction of the new floating bridge will start at the beginning of next year. It will be built parallel to the current one so as not to interrupt traffic in the area.
The minister said that in Puerto Plata three bridges are being intervened and six more are to be intervened.
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Listin Diario
4 May 2022