The provincial director of Elías Piña of the General Border Development Agency, Ramón Antonio Capellán acknowledges that the International Highway that divides the Dominican Republic and Haiti is in major disrepair, as reported in N Digital.
The road connects the towns of Pedro Santana, in the South, with Restauración, Dajabón province, to the North, some 67 kms in the central part of the Haitian-Dominican border. Media reports indicate transit could soon be forcibly discontinued due to the poor conditions of the important road.
Capellán said they do not have equipment to repair the road, nor the budget to hire equipment.
“The truth is that the road could be interrupted at any moment,” he said as reported in N Digital.
He said the agency depends on the Ministry of Public Works sending equipment, resources and materials to carry out the repairs. Despite requests made, this has not happened.
Capellan urges that at least the final 14 kms that give access to Dajabón through Guayajayuco be repaired as soon as possible.
Capellán also complained of a lack of collaboration from the Haitian authorities. He said the Haitians have boycotted the use of construction material that is abundantly available on the Haitian side because of the extensive deforestation.
“They do not collaborate in anything, but the road belongs to both countries and they benefit equally. On one occasion, we were doing an intervention and the Haitians boycotted us, because we made use of some of the material. We had to make the Haitian mayors of that area aware so that they would let us use it,” he indicated.
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N Digital
N Digital
1 September 2022