Anyone who has to travel by land to the southwest needs to pass the city of Baní, spending at least half an hour in dense traffic. For years now, the Ministry of Public Works has been announcing the construction of the Bani bypass. But for unclear reasons, the road is stagnated.
The Abinader government seemed to tackle the highway construction from the start, and in November 2020 announced that the road would be in operation before the end of 2021.
At the time, Minister of Public Works Deligne Ascención said the Circunvalación de Baní would have an approximate length of 19.60 kilometers and would be a two-lane roadway in each direction, with a width of 3.65 meters each; sidewalks of 2.50 meters, drainage systems, road signs and complementary works (defense barriers).
Listin Diario reports that works underway so far show the bypass will be just a single-lane road in each direction. The people of Baní are concerned they are being shortchanged, reports Listin Diario.
Listin Diario says that the Minister of Public Works has set new dates for the completion of the road after the end of year 2021 deadline was not met. He promised the road for September 2022 and then for September 2023. The newspaper says that engineer Pedro Salcedo says there is no hopes for the road to be ready until 2024. The works are stuck in the first km of construction in Ojo de Agua, Paya.
Baní is the snag on the way to Barahona. Leaving the capital city, San Cristóbal has its bypass. Then comes the traffic jams of Baní. But, the next big town, Azua already has its bypass. The government has yet to report what’s delaying the construction of the Baní bypass.
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Listin Diario
17 July 2023