Tourism Minister David Collado officially inaugurated the newly renovated Juan Pablo Duarte Park and reopened the meticulously restored Las Mercedes Street on Wednesday, 30 July 2025 in the historic center of Santo Domingo.
The extensive restoration efforts of the two prioritized streets fall under the “Integral Program for the Touristic and Urban Development of the Colonial City,” a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) and the Inter-American Development Bank (BID), backed by a substantial US$90 million investment.
The initiative seeks to transform the historic Colonial City’s thoroughfares into more livable, walkable, inclusive, and accessible public spaces for its residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
The renovation of Duarte Park encompassed a range of upgrades, including new lighting, enhanced landscaping, the planting of additional trees, and updated signage.
Spanning 715 meters, the work on Las Mercedes Street involved the installation of new pavement on both the roadway and sidewalks, utilizing concrete slabs. A notable transformation is the conversion of the entire space into a unified platform, seamlessly blending sidewalks and streets to enhance pedestrian safety and flow.
Crucially, the street’s hydro-sanitary network underwent a complete overhaul, with the replacement of the potable water network and connections to both residences and businesses. A vital improvement includes the separation of sanitary and storm drains, a significant step towards modernizing the city’s infrastructure. Additionally, tactile paving has been incorporated to safely guide visually impaired individuals.
Upon the project’s full completion, electrical and telecommunications networks along Las Mercedes Street will be placed underground, further enhancing the area’s aesthetics and functionality.
The same prioritized streets effort aims to rehabilitate 4.7 kilometers of streets. This ambitious undertaking includes the renovation of pavements, sidewalks, and all hydro-sanitary, electrical, and telecommunications networks. The project also encompasses a pilot program for electromobility and waste management, signaling a forward-thinking approach to urban development in the Colonial City.
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Tu Ciudad Colonial
CDN
5 August 2025